Meaning of Nakedness

[Moebius]

I agree. A hideous nude crone isn't sexual at all, while a nubile beauty will appear sexual regardless of what she wears.

And yes, clothing in some ways can actually heighten or emphasize sexuality more than nudity. An impossibly short skirt, a low cut shirt that shows amble cleavage, or lingeries. That's not to mention things like French maid, nurse, police women, catholic schoolgirl, and teacher uniforms, or leather and latex for those so inclined.

[The Wrath]

I agree. A hideous nude crone isn't sexual at all, while a nubile beauty will appear sexual regardless of what she wears.

And yes, clothing in some ways can actually heighten or emphasize sexuality more than nudity. An impossibly short skirt, a low cut shirt that shows amble cleavage, or lingeries. That's not to mention things like French maid, nurse, police women, catholic schoolgirl, and teacher uniforms, or leather and latex for those so inclined.

My high school English teacher used to tell us that our essays should be like a woman's skirt: long enough to cover, but short enough to be interesting.

I have definitely found that this holds true in the non-metaphorical sense. I find my wife to be much more attractive when she's wearing something that accentuates her sexuality, than when she's completely naked.

[KendallJ]

My high school English teacher used to tell us that our essays should be like a woman's skirt: long enough to cover, but short enough to be interesting.

I have definitely found that this holds true in the non-metaphorical sense. I find my wife to be much more attractive when she's wearing something that accentuates her sexuality, than when she's completely naked.

That is just pure wisdom. In both the metaphorical and non-metaphorical sense.

[Seeker]

I took drawing classes in art college which included figure drawing with both male and female nude models. Figure drawing is a challenging exercise - it demands the ability to work around the way one's mind typically conceptualizes and simplifies so that you get a realistic depiction and not something like this: . It requires careful attention. You really don't have the luxury of allowing yourself to become aroused. Though difficult, it is possible to mentally focus in the manner required. This is partly why I am not too sympathetic to the notion that one cannot help but be aroused by the naked figure. You most certainly can help it. You just need to focus your mind properly (which is what you ought to be doing anyway).

As to what nakedness means, it is contextual. There is no universal, unchangeable meaning. It depends upon the circumstances. As to the example given, whether or not I went naked would depend on the social context. Regardless of the context, nothing would absolve me of the responsibility for controlling my own responses to others' nakedness.

Edited June 23, 2007 by Seeker

[Ifat Glassman]

To moderators: Would you unlock the legal foundation for public decency thread?

I think the discussion can be well continued there about the legal aspects of nudity.

[softwareNerd]

To moderators: Would you unlock the legal foundation for public decency thread? I think the discussion can be well continued there about the legal aspects of nudity.

Done! Hopefully, everyone will read the 434 existing posts in that thread before posting anything new Edited June 24, 2007 by softwareNerd

[Capitalism Forever]

This is what I wrote last year:

Nudity means that you're alone--just you, or what is almost the same: you and your loved one.

This is what nudity has always meant to me, to the extent that I have attached much significance to nudity. But it seems like the discussion is about something else: nudity in the company of strangers.

Now, THAT is something I have never given much thought. When you're in a locker room, you don't typically think about how both you and the other guy are nude and what this means metaphysically. You don't dwell on your nudity. In fact, you don't even notice it much, as you are focusing on getting yourself changed and--if you're anything like me--you just don't look at the other guy. If you happen to see his private parts, you don't stop to observe them; you just move on your glance as you would move it on from anything you see but aren't interested in. You ignore the other guy--and by this, I don't just mean that you act as if he weren't there; rather, you actively avoid looking at him.

Why do you do this? To understand, consider an analogy with closeness rather than nudity. Suppose you're standing on the sidewalk in a quiet street, waiting for a car that will pick you up. Another guy (who is a stranger to you) is also waiting near you; other than that, there is nobody else there and there's plenty of space. Now suppose the other guy comes up right next to you and stands there, with only an inch between his shoulder and yours. What would you do? If you're anything like me, you'd move away, and if he kept coming close to you, you'd ask him to stop. Why? Because closeness has a certain meaning: it constitutes an entry into your private sphere, which implies that the other person has the right to enter your private sphere--and thus makes the statement that you are very intimate friends. If this is not the case, you will want to avoid making such a statement (to whom? Most importantly, to your subconscious, which is liable develop false emotions based on the false statement!) and therefore you will actively seek to avoid closeness with strangers.

A direct visual contact with a stranger's private parts has the same meaning. If you look with interest at someone's private parts, you are entering his private sphere. In a non-medical situation, this implies an intimate relationship between the two of you.

[source]

Capitalism Forever,

With this statement of yours, and some of my own experience, I'm led to conclude that both nudity and closeness are social constructs, i.e. people view nudity and closeness differently, based on how (or where?) they were raised. In other words, it has nothing to do with reason, it's simply what you were taught.

For example, in the case of being naked in the locker room: in Croatia this usually isn't the same as you described. People here sometimes notice other naked people in the locker room; I don't mean in the sense that they stare at them, but rather they snigger or are sometimes even shocked by it. I say "usually" because some people just don't care. As for closeness, I've read that people of some cultures tend to get very close together when they are speaking to each other, even if they barely know each other.

Rationally, I'd say nudity is just that - being naked. Whether you are with strangers or alone, it doesn't matter. What meaning you decide to attach to it in a certain context, is arbitrary.

As for closeness, I think it has much more to do than just being physically close to another person.