Trying to introduce social nudity to anyone outside of experienced naturists is difficult.
Confucius’ words stand true to this day if but only more would: “do and understand”
Sure you can try inviting someone over for a hot tub social etc; but my family found that these experiences were best shared with each other and avoided the “work” required to try and convince someone wasn’t worth it most of the time after countless rejections and ew’s.
Now at age 67 and having been in and out of social and family nudity since age 4, I live in a naturist community of all ages who have “heard and remember, see and remember, tried and understand.”
Those that want it will find it as is true as with your very good blog.
I’ve asked myself what was “new” and attractive about it when it was growing ? We need to investigate that and revisit it today.
One part of the problem - but only part of it - is the tendency of humans to sort themselves based on social identity - race, ethnicity, generation, occupation, religion, politics, etc. This goes back to how humans have almost always lived in separate tribes. People think "I can trust others in my tribe, but people in other tribes are a threat and can't be trusted." Don't we see this happening everywhere even today as much as ever? But it's complicated, because there's a lot of overlap among tribes.
Naturists and nudists belong to a very small tribe. These two aren't even sure they belong to the same tribe sometimes. Anyhow, why would outsiders want to be part of such a small tribe? Clothing comes into the picture because it's a tribal signifier. It's important to wear clothes that indicate what tribe one belongs to. Of course, those who don't wear anything are dangerous partly because they don't display any tribal identification in the form of clothes.
So the types of clothes people wear (or don't wear) it a tribal indicator. That's what "fashion" is all about. In many societies - certain types of clothes are nearly mandatory, and deviations can be dangerous and punishable - at least by exclusion from the dominant tribe. Wearing little or nothing is especially threatening almost everywhere.
Now layer on top of that the economics of the clothing industry. It's a very big business. The top three U.S. chains together have sales of more than a trillion dollars every year. Go into any large chain store like Walmart, Target, Costco, etc. Clothing is almost the largest section in all of them. Clothes are a huge part of the national economy. Clothing "fashions" change all the time. Perfectly good clothes have to be replaced every year. That's planned obsolescence, and it's deliberate. The car/truck industry is very similar, in terms of the type of vehicle one owns, the tribal signification, and the economics.
"worrying about what others might think about your naked body"
"unwanted sexual attention"
"the possibility of legal hassles"
People who are nervous about it will engage in catastrophic thinking.
"upset people important to them"
"embarrassing in the eyes of friends and relatives"
"behavior could incur costs"
And that is why 90% of nudists are living deep in the closet. There are many people for whom the closet is necessary for their livelihood or not being rejected by family or neighbors.
The other reasons boil down to belief issues which are very difficult. A person's belief system isn't a list of items to be checked off. It is a complicated web. Or imagine a suspension bridge. You can't just cross off one item from the list because breaking a single element risks a cascades through the system. As long as the elements remain intact, you have am immensely strong structure. Break one of those elements and the entire structure is weakened.
Many people do not have deep seated beliefs but develop theirs through peer pressure. That is why internet echo chambers leads to such polarization. One fully developed they produce an intense psychological need to conform. People grow to need the reassurance provided by fellow echo chamber inhabitants. Say something not accepted by the leading influencers and you get punished. Very much like an online cult.
People will protect their belief systems at great personal cost because the loss would be an existential crisis.
There are many people who think that any kind of social nudity is degenerate behavior. Pluck that string and their entire belief system vibrates and they don't like that.
There is a much smaller group that thinks it is great. Most people don't really care or haven't formed an opinion because they've never considered it. And they are geographically separated. Consider public acceptance of nudity in San Francisco vs. the rejection in Salt Lake City.
Sort out the geographics, demographics, and psychographics of the people who are more likely to be interested and start there. It is a state/local marketing problem. We don't need a national revolution to grow. The US will not be at the point where Europe is in my lifetime.
I think I am less interested in recruiting new naturists than I am in just getting more acceptance of it. Do that and everything else follows.
I don't know whether 90% is the right number, although even somewhat less is too much. But look at it this way: Perhaps only 10% of naturists aren't firmly in the closet. We really have no idea of how many people in the country would at least consider the idea of naturism and social nudity. Not everyone is hostile to nonsexual nudity. Few have any actual understanding of it at all - largely because discussion of it is so suppressed.
If just 10% of naturists would try to address the non-hostile group and educate them, all naturists would be much better off. And the more the percentage of open naturists rises, the more impact they'll all have. Problem is, that 10% doesn't care enough to make the effort. If more of them would just work together and not wring their hand over the situation, they could make a difference. The situation hasn't been so bad as now since before the 1950s. Reversal of the current situation is possible. Without reversal, things will probably get even worse. Which is quite possible, considering what cesspools contemporary "social media" and "mainstream media" are.
Among developed, modern, non-authoritarian countries (mainly in N. America, Western Europe, Australia, etc.) let's face it - the U.S. is near the bottom of the pile in terms of open-mindedness about many social issues. Our public media is so terrible. How often do they dare even to write about naturists as anything but kooks and weirdos? Nevertheless, open-minded people should push back against the haters.
"I think I am less interested in recruiting new naturists than I am in just getting more acceptance of it. Do that and everything else follows."
This is a chicken/egg situation. Which comes first - more acceptance or more naturists? Wouldn't more naturists promote more acceptance - like if you learn that a good friend or family member comes out as a naturist and explains it to you? These two things are very synergistic. Someone you know and trust carries more weight than what's found in most of our media.
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." Thank you, John.
I think the 70s and early 80s were a kind of golden time for California nudism. We had the Cahill policy with made every state beach a potential nude beach. There were more nudist resorts. Cal. State Northridge had a nudist club on campus. That's when the nude runners in the Bay to Breakers started. I was in Mensa and we had a nudism special interest group. Gov. Jerry Brown was known to jet out to other countries for some quiet nudist time where nobody would recognize him.
All either gone today, or fading. I suppose it was left over good will from the flower power generation. Eventually most hippies turned into their parents and didn't want their kids into what they got up to. In the mid-80s California had a conservative swing.
OTOH, there was no WNBR, but that probably would have been welcomed as well.
I've found Mensa pretty useless as far as naturism is concerned. From their website it appears there used to be a naturist SIG. I tried a couple of times to ask about it or revive it. No response at all. Seems like most of what they do is get together for restaurant meals and have evening events to play board games.
And BTW, Fred, thanks for the pledge. It's appreciated. I've not wanted to ask for money, so as many people as possible will read the newsletter. For some unknown reason, subscribers have started coming faster.
Mensa is a shadow of itself. In the 80s there were dozens of SIGs, most were active. In the large cities there would be multiple events every weekend. One weekend the CA region rented an entire motel so they could make it clothing optional in the evening. Today Mensa is an aging and fading force, not unlike nudism.
I hear other large social clubs are having a hard time of it as well, including fraternal orders and civic associations. Probably also effects nudist organizations. We don't seem to like hanging out together like we use to. This may be the fate of most large scale social clubs.
Robert Putnam's 2000 book Bowling Alone (updated in 2020) goes into this trend in great detail. Almost all U.S. social organizations - from fraternal clubs to religions - have declining participation and membership. This has certainly affected naturism too. I posted about it here: https://naturistplace.substack.com/p/participation-in-naturism-has-followed
I wish I could help, but the Substack site is terrible for trying to find specific things. If you can find a page for asking how-to questions (Ha!) that may help.
The resorts I know of in Southern California are Glen Eden (in Temescal Valley, East of Santa Ana) and Olive Dell Ranch (in Colton, Northeast of Riverside). You can Google the names to see their websites for directions, hours, policies, phone numbers, etc. I haven't been to either, but I think Olive Dell may be less expensive and more welcoming to newcomers. Both also have pages on Facebook.
The most popular clothing-optional beach is Black's Beach, north of La Jolla. I've been there, and it's great, but can be reached only by a long walk or a steep trail down the cliffs. Bates Beach, Southeast of Santa Barbara, has a clothing-optional section - if you want to go up that way.
There are also a couple of local naturist organizations in S. California that may be helpful: Naturists in the OC and the Southern California Naturist Association. You can Google their websites to get more information.
Very nice article with a basic study about human psychology for unwillingness to initiate changes in their mind, thoughts & to experience new ways...
Trying to introduce social nudity to anyone outside of experienced naturists is difficult.
Confucius’ words stand true to this day if but only more would: “do and understand”
Sure you can try inviting someone over for a hot tub social etc; but my family found that these experiences were best shared with each other and avoided the “work” required to try and convince someone wasn’t worth it most of the time after countless rejections and ew’s.
Now at age 67 and having been in and out of social and family nudity since age 4, I live in a naturist community of all ages who have “heard and remember, see and remember, tried and understand.”
Those that want it will find it as is true as with your very good blog.
I’ve asked myself what was “new” and attractive about it when it was growing ? We need to investigate that and revisit it today.
One part of the problem - but only part of it - is the tendency of humans to sort themselves based on social identity - race, ethnicity, generation, occupation, religion, politics, etc. This goes back to how humans have almost always lived in separate tribes. People think "I can trust others in my tribe, but people in other tribes are a threat and can't be trusted." Don't we see this happening everywhere even today as much as ever? But it's complicated, because there's a lot of overlap among tribes.
Naturists and nudists belong to a very small tribe. These two aren't even sure they belong to the same tribe sometimes. Anyhow, why would outsiders want to be part of such a small tribe? Clothing comes into the picture because it's a tribal signifier. It's important to wear clothes that indicate what tribe one belongs to. Of course, those who don't wear anything are dangerous partly because they don't display any tribal identification in the form of clothes.
So the types of clothes people wear (or don't wear) it a tribal indicator. That's what "fashion" is all about. In many societies - certain types of clothes are nearly mandatory, and deviations can be dangerous and punishable - at least by exclusion from the dominant tribe. Wearing little or nothing is especially threatening almost everywhere.
Now layer on top of that the economics of the clothing industry. It's a very big business. The top three U.S. chains together have sales of more than a trillion dollars every year. Go into any large chain store like Walmart, Target, Costco, etc. Clothing is almost the largest section in all of them. Clothes are a huge part of the national economy. Clothing "fashions" change all the time. Perfectly good clothes have to be replaced every year. That's planned obsolescence, and it's deliberate. The car/truck industry is very similar, in terms of the type of vehicle one owns, the tribal signification, and the economics.
"worrying about what others might think about your naked body"
"unwanted sexual attention"
"the possibility of legal hassles"
People who are nervous about it will engage in catastrophic thinking.
"upset people important to them"
"embarrassing in the eyes of friends and relatives"
"behavior could incur costs"
And that is why 90% of nudists are living deep in the closet. There are many people for whom the closet is necessary for their livelihood or not being rejected by family or neighbors.
The other reasons boil down to belief issues which are very difficult. A person's belief system isn't a list of items to be checked off. It is a complicated web. Or imagine a suspension bridge. You can't just cross off one item from the list because breaking a single element risks a cascades through the system. As long as the elements remain intact, you have am immensely strong structure. Break one of those elements and the entire structure is weakened.
Many people do not have deep seated beliefs but develop theirs through peer pressure. That is why internet echo chambers leads to such polarization. One fully developed they produce an intense psychological need to conform. People grow to need the reassurance provided by fellow echo chamber inhabitants. Say something not accepted by the leading influencers and you get punished. Very much like an online cult.
People will protect their belief systems at great personal cost because the loss would be an existential crisis.
There are many people who think that any kind of social nudity is degenerate behavior. Pluck that string and their entire belief system vibrates and they don't like that.
There is a much smaller group that thinks it is great. Most people don't really care or haven't formed an opinion because they've never considered it. And they are geographically separated. Consider public acceptance of nudity in San Francisco vs. the rejection in Salt Lake City.
Sort out the geographics, demographics, and psychographics of the people who are more likely to be interested and start there. It is a state/local marketing problem. We don't need a national revolution to grow. The US will not be at the point where Europe is in my lifetime.
I think I am less interested in recruiting new naturists than I am in just getting more acceptance of it. Do that and everything else follows.
"90% of nudists are living deep in the closet."
I don't know whether 90% is the right number, although even somewhat less is too much. But look at it this way: Perhaps only 10% of naturists aren't firmly in the closet. We really have no idea of how many people in the country would at least consider the idea of naturism and social nudity. Not everyone is hostile to nonsexual nudity. Few have any actual understanding of it at all - largely because discussion of it is so suppressed.
If just 10% of naturists would try to address the non-hostile group and educate them, all naturists would be much better off. And the more the percentage of open naturists rises, the more impact they'll all have. Problem is, that 10% doesn't care enough to make the effort. If more of them would just work together and not wring their hand over the situation, they could make a difference. The situation hasn't been so bad as now since before the 1950s. Reversal of the current situation is possible. Without reversal, things will probably get even worse. Which is quite possible, considering what cesspools contemporary "social media" and "mainstream media" are.
Among developed, modern, non-authoritarian countries (mainly in N. America, Western Europe, Australia, etc.) let's face it - the U.S. is near the bottom of the pile in terms of open-mindedness about many social issues. Our public media is so terrible. How often do they dare even to write about naturists as anything but kooks and weirdos? Nevertheless, open-minded people should push back against the haters.
"I think I am less interested in recruiting new naturists than I am in just getting more acceptance of it. Do that and everything else follows."
This is a chicken/egg situation. Which comes first - more acceptance or more naturists? Wouldn't more naturists promote more acceptance - like if you learn that a good friend or family member comes out as a naturist and explains it to you? These two things are very synergistic. Someone you know and trust carries more weight than what's found in most of our media.
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." Thank you, John.
I think the 70s and early 80s were a kind of golden time for California nudism. We had the Cahill policy with made every state beach a potential nude beach. There were more nudist resorts. Cal. State Northridge had a nudist club on campus. That's when the nude runners in the Bay to Breakers started. I was in Mensa and we had a nudism special interest group. Gov. Jerry Brown was known to jet out to other countries for some quiet nudist time where nobody would recognize him.
All either gone today, or fading. I suppose it was left over good will from the flower power generation. Eventually most hippies turned into their parents and didn't want their kids into what they got up to. In the mid-80s California had a conservative swing.
OTOH, there was no WNBR, but that probably would have been welcomed as well.
I've found Mensa pretty useless as far as naturism is concerned. From their website it appears there used to be a naturist SIG. I tried a couple of times to ask about it or revive it. No response at all. Seems like most of what they do is get together for restaurant meals and have evening events to play board games.
And BTW, Fred, thanks for the pledge. It's appreciated. I've not wanted to ask for money, so as many people as possible will read the newsletter. For some unknown reason, subscribers have started coming faster.
Mensa is a shadow of itself. In the 80s there were dozens of SIGs, most were active. In the large cities there would be multiple events every weekend. One weekend the CA region rented an entire motel so they could make it clothing optional in the evening. Today Mensa is an aging and fading force, not unlike nudism.
I hear other large social clubs are having a hard time of it as well, including fraternal orders and civic associations. Probably also effects nudist organizations. We don't seem to like hanging out together like we use to. This may be the fate of most large scale social clubs.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90350407/the-death-and-unlikely-rebirth-of-the-american-social-club
Robert Putnam's 2000 book Bowling Alone (updated in 2020) goes into this trend in great detail. Almost all U.S. social organizations - from fraternal clubs to religions - have declining participation and membership. This has certainly affected naturism too. I posted about it here: https://naturistplace.substack.com/p/participation-in-naturism-has-followed
I can't seem to find the pledge page anymore.
I wish I could help, but the Substack site is terrible for trying to find specific things. If you can find a page for asking how-to questions (Ha!) that may help.
Any suggestions on locations for an aspiring nudist in Southern California?
The resorts I know of in Southern California are Glen Eden (in Temescal Valley, East of Santa Ana) and Olive Dell Ranch (in Colton, Northeast of Riverside). You can Google the names to see their websites for directions, hours, policies, phone numbers, etc. I haven't been to either, but I think Olive Dell may be less expensive and more welcoming to newcomers. Both also have pages on Facebook.
The most popular clothing-optional beach is Black's Beach, north of La Jolla. I've been there, and it's great, but can be reached only by a long walk or a steep trail down the cliffs. Bates Beach, Southeast of Santa Barbara, has a clothing-optional section - if you want to go up that way.
There are also a couple of local naturist organizations in S. California that may be helpful: Naturists in the OC and the Southern California Naturist Association. You can Google their websites to get more information.
Thank you, Charles!