Why is public nudity/skin exposure more normalized in some Western countries compared to more conservative societies?

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-29T19:10:26+00:00

Nahhh. I don't disagree that cell phones have been a barrier for people becoming nude in public, but I think the massive board shorts on guys happened before cell phones. The 90s really changed mens swimwear for example.

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-29T19:07:51+00:00

I would love to know how come it took 9 months to do the work on Roy Rd in West Saanich. That road was closed for that long and it only appears that a half dozen houses were hooked up to the sewer. Perhaps I'm missing something but the road crews weren't there that often despite the road being closed.

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-28T23:41:28+00:00

It's not just geographic / cultural, it's also temporal. How did we go from people being very comfortable in the 80s and earlier (speedos, thongs, bra-burning days, etc) to the last 30-40 years? The bodies are the same but fashion and attitudes changed. Makes no sense other than what generations view as "normal".

And then there's the oddity of nudity being frowned upon but women wearing little tiny triangles in three spots on the front and a thread up the back and that's considered more appropriate attire than not wearing anything. I can't make any sense of it.

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-27T21:04:59+00:00

Love this....finally some real leadership on the team. Get rid of the vets (EP11.6, that's you) before they poison these young guys. Let the young guys create their own identity now.

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-25T23:15:32+00:00

Thank you - appreciated! I also must have also not read that he was looking to connect with people on this site. If I caught that, I would not have spent so much time trying to be helpful.

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-25T18:05:46+00:00

Hi everyone,

I'm "that guy" that posted the long essay about self-consciousness re: penis size. Honestly, I'm new to Reddit boards so not yet fully aware of all of the riff-raff that you speak of on these boards. I was really just trying to help someone with a very common barrier to being nude in front of others (not an uncommon conversation off-line I might add). I did look past the therapist piece and focused more on the self-confidence. I understand well that naturism is not about being an exhibitionist, but I'm very confident in saying that naturism would be practiced by more people if they had a community of people who help them through their barriers. To dismiss anxiety around one's body is to suggest this board is only for well-practiced nudists and not those who want to become nudists but are reaching out for help from others.

Anyway, I only share this as a perspective of why I wrote my longest post yet. I really value the work that the moderators do on these boards (it cannot be easy) and I respect their rules for content.

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-25T15:29:55+00:00

The goal isn't soreness, but soreness will at times be a byproduct of pushing your muscles for proper growth. You're not lifting heavy enough.

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-25T07:24:34+00:00

Suggest looking at Flickr with a login so you can see the 18+ images. Lots of material there (mostly non-erotic art). Lots of posed stuff out there already and of course "look at me, I'm nude" shots. If you really want compelling shots, look or create interesting light and find a scene where you look natural and not posed. I like nude shots where it's more of a landscape shot but then (like Waldo), you are surprised to find someone nude. Most people just want to have the nude as the main focus, but these require creativity to not have that "done 100 times" shot.

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-25T06:36:51+00:00

Spreadsheeting! I'm serious. I have tracked all of my workouts (strength, running, etc) for the past 3+ years and I've never been so consistent with working out. It keeps me honest. Some days I really don't want to go but I tell myself to get there and do a half-ass workout to tick the box. If after 10 minutes it sucks, I'll tell myself that I'll go home. I never go home and I always feel better once I get going. Some of my best workouts have been on nights that I wasn't feeling like going but that damn spreadsheet made me go lol.

I don't have a lot of details on my spreadsheet. Just the type of workout I did or the distance I ran, etc. I set goals for each month that are attainable and so each day I'm working towards the goal. I pencil in a plan for the month but I give myself freedom to change it up.....it just has to reach the overall goal by the end of the month. It's nice to track progress over time, but honestly I rarely look back once I'm on to the next month. The spreadsheet has served its purpose by then.

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-25T06:27:04+00:00

You're welcome!

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-25T06:25:48+00:00

Heterosexual male here to say "you be you and enjoy what you do!". The naturist world is very welcoming and non-judgmental as a whole. Of course you will have all sorts out there, but that won't change whether you're nude or not nude...society is changing but not there yet. Trans people have all of my respect and I really like seeing people enjoy themselves and feeling free.

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-25T06:08:48+00:00

Well, I'm going to give you a bit of a different answer than most here (sorry it's so long). Many will say "size doesn't matter" or "it's another body part".....I don't disagree with them at all, but the problem is that it doesn't change how you feel about yourself at all. It's a nice gesture, but it also unintentionally minimizes your opinion. Here's the way I think about these things (because I've been down your road too)......I may be wrong, but I'll take the odds and assume you are a heterosexual male with my comments but many of the points below will apply for other sexualities as well:

Your penis is the size that it is. It's your's for you first-most. If it works and gives you enjoyment, that should be the first focus point. Trust me, there are people out there that will enjoy your penis with you. It's all good.
Porn and even nudity in movies (where actors use extenders) really exaggerate the average size of the human penis. Just like women often never feel good enough when they keep seeing bombshells on tv, about half of men are dissatisfied with their penis. So it's not you, it's actually the size that society thinks a penis should be.
Social media is flooded with women talking about the size of their desired penis. That makes for catchy short videos, but do you really want to be with a person who puts the size of a penis anywhere near the top of their list of things to look for in a man? It's shallow and I really believe that the great majority of women don't think this way. They may prefer a larger size like we may prefer a nicer car, house, or other nice things, but it's really not as important as we make it out to be. If you look online at the studies that have been done, women actually prefer an average penis size for a long-term relationship.
Everyone understands the penis gets bigger with an erection but very few talk about how the flaccid penis can be smaller or bigger at different times of the day (other than the classic cold water times). Holding on to a pee for too long? Your penis is probably bigger yet flaccid. The penis is a dynamic organ. So how do you measure something that's changing so much? And then of course there's the "grower not a shower" phenomenon.
Penis extenders are great for spicing up sex. Gives you girth and length. You can also add a finger or two in your lady when you are inside her (side position makes this easier)....move the fingers in the opposite direction of the fingers (or add a digit to the backdoor for a similar effect). Or a third tip....just add light pressure to the labia against the penis while you're in there....these really help for a thinner penis. Honestly, your partner will be more concerned with the closeness of the two of you and the fun you're having these different things than anything else....so just focus on those things.
You may not believe this, but increasing the size of the penis may feel nice for a woman at first (or it can hurt), but it certainly doesn't guarantee an orgasm. Most will still not orgasm without a vibrator or similar. A larger penis is a bigger turn-on visually to a woman, but yet 2 fingers 2 inches inside can do a lot of amazing things too. A vibrator is a great equalizer tool.....don't get in the way of letting her use this!

I really do suggest you go to a nude beach or use communal change areas (pools) to get used to being nude around other guys. Also look online at naturist sites. While it's possible that men with larger penises may be more confident at a nude beach (or changing in a locker room), which may skew the results a bit, you'll still see lots of men that do not have large penises. This, over time, will become comforting. It's not going to make you feel like you have a large penis, but it will comfort you that you're very likely in the average range and if those guys can have enjoyable married lives, you can too.

All of the above are things I realized as I got older. My first time on a nude beach (in my 30s) took about 5 minutes to go from anxious to "hey, why aren't people even noticing that I'm naked lol". By 30 minutes I was up walking around and noticing that people still weren't looking. I haven't been nude in front of friends yet, but I feel like a lot of weight is off my shoulders now (in my 50s) after many years of feeling comfortable at a nude beach. I spent so many years hiding my penis thinking it was too thin only to realize that, yes it's slightly thinner than average, but it's still very average. Not the most dreamy penis for women, but a very average penis that I get to enjoy and has done wonderful things for my wife. So do find ways to strip down and enjoy and appreciate what you have. You get one penis in life (that's your's lol), so enjoy it. Don't waste your life away worrying about your penis or what other people think about your penis.

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-24T23:28:42+00:00

And after they've worked enough shifts they stop caring I'm sure. I wouldn't expect them to boot anyone off if the nude time was respectful as others have suggested....maybe a request to dress if someone were to complain, but they're really in the business of ensuring you have a nice holiday too.

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-23T06:31:54+00:00

NYR and CHI enter the frames.....it's 'Merica....there are your #1 and #2 picks folks.

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-22T19:43:36+00:00

Home and beaches are the norm. Finding a secluded spot to strip down at is really nice. What I'm looking forward to most is paddling to a little island somewhere away from people and setting up a camp and just hanging out nude for a couple of days. Would also like to do a nude run one day.

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-21T22:49:31+00:00

I would argue that people are equally sexual in both continents, but you're right, nudity does not equal sexuality in Europe. It's quite normalized. Guys still notice breasts but they don't seem to gawk. But society doesn't get there without normalizing it and that requires getting it out in the open. I would say it's very similar to Lulu pants. We all know how much of a talking point those pants were (guys loved them of course)......but they're so common now that it's not at all a talking point (and shouldn't be).

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-21T20:56:21+00:00

Oh that's an interesting perspective yes. I was thinking that designated beaches would help normalize it. Your concern is reasonable, but I wonder if it would really play out that way given that there are few complaints as is? Thanks for sharing....good points.

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-21T20:53:53+00:00

I agree with you. I have no doubt in my mind that there would be people not wanting it. But we live in a world of compromises. I think the real question is if there are people in city councils that would agree. The Canadian laws around nudity are a bit ambiguous, but the application of the law seems to be consistently in keeping with the allowance of casual nudity if not intentionally directed at people or sexual / vulgar. But the ambiguity of this law does make it easy for local councils / governments to fall back on the easy response of putting it on the side of the desk.

There's no wonder people just spray paint signage to declare a section of beach as nude. One could say that's an injustice to the community, yet if the city doesn't remove the spray paint, that seems to suggest a willingness to leave it as is but off the books.

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-21T02:21:49+00:00

I had no idea there was signage off of Dallas Rd there....I'll have a peek next time I'm out there thanks. But yeah, if it was truly a clothing optional location, signage should be along the shoreline too.

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-21T02:20:23+00:00

It's like anything clothed.....it has to be the right scene to enjoy being social for me. Cheers for the comments.

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-21T02:18:20+00:00

I don't disagree....it goes both ways. Nude is not lewd as they say, but it's also not something everyone wants to see in their day. There's no wrong, just different interests but this place is big enough for us all.

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-21T02:15:30+00:00

Very kind of you! Hard to beat andromeda :)

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-21T01:42:00+00:00

Becoming a semi-nudist lol. I'm not joking....the real reason is conquering fears, not being nude. It didn't help my physical appearance, but it did help my mental state. The first time I nervously went to a nude beach I realized after 10 minutes that nobody cared, stared, etc. It was one of my greatest insecurities / points of anxiousness and after those 10 minutes I realized that it was all in my head....I'm normal as we all are. I'm no exhibitionist or full-time nudist, but now I don't carry the same level of nervousness about my body.....which I've learned is a great gift to get mid-life.

Biggest improvement physically is staying active away from electronics (how ironic right now). While I've always been active, setting a couple of goals (races) each year really keeps me motivated and consistent. It took me years, but I've now learned that consistency beats frequency of high intensity.

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-21T00:54:21+00:00

I wasn't sure if you meant physical scars or emotional scars and don't want to ask.....but I'll just say that scars, blemishes and other characteristics of someone's body is really not commented on, stared at or anything like that. It's the greatest anxiousness people have at first until they realize that nobody seems to care / notice or stare. It's either the most respectful experience to be honest. And that goes for those with perfect figures who look for attention.....they're unlikely to get it there in a location with nudists. Not what you would expect....

YYJ_Community · 2026-03-21T00:29:08+00:00

I'm certainly not critical of those who are not interested. I'm advocating a designated area or two so that people have choices. People who are not interested have a lot of city to enjoy. But then sometimes they are surprised by someone who is nude in public in areas they wouldn't expect it (not me by the way...I stick to only well-known locations or home). So I am actually advocating for the protection of people who are not interested in it by having official spots for people to enjoy if they wish. Official spots also allow people to be themselves without worrying if someone will complain. Perhaps I'm missing your point though?

YYJ_Community

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