While cultural norms (sic) vary from nation to nation and century to century, the mores swing like a pendulum do. Rules, laws and yes, moral code are in place for a reason. Unrestrained behavior will tend to extremes in the absence of the rules. Those will change depending on location and/or period.
The problem isn’t the tenor of flavor of the rules but the nature of the behavior they are intended to control. Humanity has discovered, courtesy of historians, that we have an amazing ability to plumb the depths or scale the heights of the human experiment and achievement. We are often either horrified or astounded at the results.
At the end of the day it all comes down to what lies in the heart of the individual. And that is the main problem with human behavior. Those issues aren’t fixed with a law or self-help book. A consistent and proven solution over time will correct it but it will be a slow process. Fixing those motivations in people will take generations. Most likely we will not see it.
Perhaps someone should indeed do something to create more open mindedness, mutual acceptance and body tolerance by highlighting the damage done by our apparently 'normal', 'natural' behaviour.
We do that through our actions. Each in our own way.
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
Change happens when positive results are seen. Only then will everyday nudity be seen as ‘normal’. Of course another human problem is impatience.
Duane
If, you bite a living elephant, there are consequences.
Prude Definition by M-B: "a person who is excessively or priggishly attentive to propriety or decorum; especially : a woman who shows or affects extreme modesty." What's with the "especially a woman" thing?
What is extreme? Who makes these calls? Why is there a law at all? Is that the place of law, I don't see it. When nudity becomes an annoyance, the law needs to address annoyance, but as something else entirely different from mere nudity.
Here are plenty of examples of prudery being harmful:
Again, it is our own selves. Prudery damages people. Nudity does not damage people. Nudity doesn't damage children, it is the prudish response to it that damages children. Children, then adults, get body image issues, unrealistic physical expectations, lack of acceptance and intolerance ingrained and very toxic shame. People commit suicide, live shutdown lives, get daily negative responses about themselves, harass each other, believe less of themselves, all of which starts in childhood. Repression of the body and dirty ideas instead of wholesome ideas associated with humanities temple create rape, frustration, exclusion, boundary issues and make rape a power play. A few are put above the rest, when we are all beautiful. Costumes create imagined self images, keeping people from reality and egalitarian compassion and their own humanity. People get addicted to clothing for their very acceptance of themselves, a very limiting strategy. Sexual relationships are very often encased in fantasy, dirty totally replaces the intimacy, sharing, caring and the bonding involved. Prudes do all of this and more. That's just off of the top of my head.
With all of this, and these are seen in the media, why are prudes ruling our lives? I suppose because it runs very deep , because prudes ingrained it and the culture continues.
The alternative is filled with unknown benefits, because prudes will not allow human beings to experience themselves as such. Prudes teach repression, fear, shame, even self hate. Ageism the infatuation with youth and diminution of elders is directly contributed to by textile prudery and it is rampant.
We here know of many of the benefits of a lack of prudery, but what would it be like without it? Would more people be better attached to their own humanity and a part of nature? Would they better value the gifts of God than the man-made concrete jungle? Would they be happier in their moment with all senses than the massage of the news media? I don't know what that effect would have in general, but many many more would certainly be happier, healthier better adjusted, instead of a continuum to extremes of displeasure and despair.
Extreme behavior is caused by rules, not the absence of them. People are generally good to be around when left alone with only a few aberrations. When you manipulate their nature, they get messed up in mass. They form armies and kill each other. Do you have faith that people will do what they feel is the best considerate thing most of the time, or do you believe that people will inevitably get out of hand? Do you generally trust human nature, or do you live in fear? Are you a prude or a naturist?
The answer from prudes to address many of these issues is to put children in dull uniforms, or burkas. What does that say about a free society and the flourishing of human potential? These prudes are not just an issue for we as naturists, but as human beings.
Now then, what can be done "just short" of stringing a few of them up, stoning them, scarlet "P's,"or public whippings?
Jbee
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