by Alissa King

Created on: January 05, 2007   Last Updated: April 30, 2007

Nudity is not an extreme or modern idea for humanity. Being clothed as a requirement in day to day life is actually a fairly new concept for humankind. Historical accounts and observations of indigenous people show that clothes were used for utility and adornment, but otherwise discarded in favor of comfort. Is it really sensible to wear clothes? Getting dressed is ingrained into our culture but the act of putting on several pieces of clothing, especially in hot weather or for a long day indoors can seem silly when you really examine the action. The reason we wear clothes is because it is a cultural norm. If nudity were the norm, then everyone would go naked, and no one would feel strange about it.

Public nudity is not that uncommon, even outside of nudist or 'clothes-free' communities. The public bath house has been an establishment in many countries for years. Japan has several different kinds of public bathing facilities, although the bath house is less common now that many people have showers in their residence. In Germany, public baths are common and fashionable at health retreats. Many of these facilities are same sex, meaning women bathe with women and men bathe with men, but mixed gender public baths also exist. In addition, there are many nude beaches in Europe and on the Mediterranean.

Here in the United States, nudity is often regarded as a fetish, and is commercialized as a lewd or sexual act. This is a gross misrepresentation of the average nudist community. Most people who engage in a clothes-free lifestyle do so because it feels natural or wholesome to be naked. They raise families, engage in social activities and lead normal, peaceful lives. In fact, many clothes-free communities are actually more conservative than a lot of other societies. The requirements to join a nudist residential community can be more stringent than those of an upscale country club. Nudists and naturists are aware of how they are represented in main-stream culture, and they carefully guard against deviants and sexual predators who are attracted by the possibility of a sexual commune.

Nudism is not about sex. Critics of nudism are quick to say that being naked leads to sexual temptation and immoral activities. In fact, the opposite proves true. It is a perverse characteristic of mankind that people often want what they can't have. If you want to immediately provoke obsession and curiosity about an aspect of the anatomy, then cover it up. In some Muslim countries, women are

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