Why are so many Young Men so shy about Nudity?

[+ bigjoey]

I noticed this long ago and attributed it to the “older crowd” having had military service back in the days of the draft. “In my day...” there was no privacy in military training and during many types of later service.

[+ quoththeraven]

I couldn't agree more.

 

Millennials are (for the most part) the most sexless, boring generation... Uncomfortable with their bodies and unable to comprehend those who aren't.

Wow. What a generalization.

 

I'm the parent of a millennial who's body shy but sleeps in the nude. Go figure.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Wow. What a generalization.

 

I'm the parent of a millennial who's body shy but sleeps in the nude. Go figure.

 

Notice the carefully placed for the most part in my post.

 

In my personal experience, this has been the case. It might have been a generalization, but it's certainly not a sweeping one.

[LoveNDino]

Notice the carefully placed for the most part in my post.

 

In my personal experience, this has been the case. It might have been a generalization, but it's certainly not a sweeping one.

English is my second language, which is my way of explaining that this is an honest question. Aren't generalizations, by definition, sweeping?

[P Gren]

Was at a nude/clothing optional beach today. Every age, body shape and flaccid size imaginable!

 

Four young men (early 20s?) came down. They wrapped a towel around themselves while pants still on (not even down to underwear) and then went through amazing contortions to get pants & underwear off and bathing suit on UNDER the towel. Ridiculously amazing.

 

What goes? Why? I have heard friends mention similar at the Gym.

 

Anyone know why this is?

they might be uncomfortable with being stared at … and have pics taken of them which absolutely would happen

Edited August 6, 2018 by P Gren

[longtime lurker]

I noticed this long ago and attributed it to the “older crowd” having had military service back in the days of the draft. “In my day...” there was no privacy in military training and during many types of later service.

 

I think that is a key reason: fewer military situations as well as less separation of genders in many other areas of American life. Gone too are the ol' swimming holes where "no girls are allowed". There are fewer nudist situations that are made mandatory today.

 

Also there was a LOT of male "bro bonding" (showering together, even touching each other for curiosity sake, emotional brotherhood, etc.) for a long time. How many WW2 movies show soldiers being both naked and even more affectionate with each other than the girls they meet on furlough? Too many to count. Having sex with a woman was this big deal, since most average men saw fewer females in the flesh than they did other men.

 

Nobody questioned anything until the 1970s when both Gay Liberation and Women's Liberation suddenly created this panic among men who were... unsure... about themselves. This panic has sadly shaped our political landscape and, while Millennials are more accepting of different "orientations" than their elders, they are also forced to hear about "orientation" over and over and over again.

 

However I am going off tangent here. I really don't think younger guys are that fussy about being perceived as "gay", but... as you suggest... they are VERY fussy about appearances. I was very modest in my youth even though I was part of Generation X and not a good representation of my generation (i.e. had a very backward and hostile upbringing that created too many inhibitions). Yet I think many of us worry a lot more about fitting in with others by body "type". During the past few decades, practically every male model and actor has a distinct copycat shape that makes many average twentysomethings and even thirtysomesthings more self conscious about not measuring up. Of course, "manhood" size is very big deal.

 

Easy solution: just get out to a nudist beach or bath house, because it is highly likely that you will see another body there no different than your own. Most of the young subjects being discussed here haven't had much experience yet. Give them time.

Edited August 7, 2018 by longtime lurker

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Aren't generalizations, by definition, sweeping?

 

You may have a point

[P Gren]

I noticed this long ago and attributed it to the “older crowd” having had military service back in the days of the draft. “In my day...” there was no privacy in military training and during many types of later service.

There is still tons of communal showers out there in change rooms, most sports teams, most university gyms. And the military is still way too large

Edited August 6, 2018 by P Gren

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

I think as others have said already, being comfortable with being naked/less clothes in public is something you condition yourself to.

 

I grew up playing sports: Soccer and baseball. We showered together, communal-style, after practice/games. In fact, I'd say it brought the group of guys closer together as a team. We also scrimmaged shirts & skins, something most high schools/universities don't do anymore.

 

I'm glad I got that experience. It helped build my confidence and my own comfort level with my body.

[+ HornyRetiree]

Even though, at 70, I am nothing to look at physically! and am a real "grower", I grew up with gang showers in school and the military -- I figure we are what we are -- and some days are just too hot for clothes!

 

What saves me and gets other men (always younger) interested in me are my great smile, beautiful smiling blue eyes, infectious laugh, pleasant personality and good energy. We we so much more than our physical body.

Edited August 6, 2018 by HornyRetiree

[Epigonos]

My teen years were in the 1950’s. Even though I was a skinny twit I thought nothing of showering in P.E. gang showers or swimming nude at the YMCA.

 

I started bodybuilding midway through my teaching career at about the same time I started teaching photography. I used to drive up to Pacific Grove, CA and take weekend workshops through U.C. Santa Cruz. On one occasion I was working with a group of four doing nude photography. While the other pair photographed the model my partner (a woman) asked me if she could take some shots of me and I said OK – I was wearing sweats and a t-shirt. She asked me to remove my shirt which was fine but when she asked me to lower the waist of my sweats I said NO. I floored her when I added that although I wouldn’t lower my sweats I’d take them off. The most difficult thing about the entire experience was lowering the sweats from my waist to my knees; from that point on the entire experience was a complete bore.

 

I really don’t get the whole nude stigma thing in the U.S. I have slept nude my entire adult life. When I told my mother that at some point she was horrified. She asked what I would do in case of a fire and when I responded that I would run outside she was much taken aback. I then added that if I had anything that anybody outside hadn’t seen it was high time they did. She wasn’t thrilled with that answer.

 

It has always fascinated me that in American films women’s breasts and men's asses are acceptable but nothing more. In Europe full nudity is totally acceptable. We allow egregious violence to be show in all its gory detail but certain form of extreme violence is not allowed in Europe. I’m with the Europeans on this one.

Edited August 7, 2018 by Epigonos

[bostonman]

When I was in high school in all our classes except for P.E. we were separated by our grade standing - Freshmen, Sophomore, Junior, Senior.

 

But for P.E. we were all mixed in together. All ages of physical development. And the showers were communal. Just didn't seem right to me.

 

I had a dear female friend - a TexMex - who grew up in lower Rio Grande Valley on the American side. She told me that she dropped out of high school because she didn't want to take a shower at school. This was back in the 40s.

 

All through my grade school years (from 4th grade on, I think), getting naked for changing/showers in gym class was what it was. In our school system, we were in gym classes strictly by grade, so it wasn't quite like your experience. I seem to remember we were all nervous about getting naked at first, but eventually it wasn't such a big deal (though never entirely comfortable either). I'd say it tended to feel like some kind of rite of passage.

 

Of course, for those of us with feelings for the same sex (I was aware of myself in 4th grade to an extent though I wasn't acting on those feelings yet), it was always a bit more awkward - though I'm sure even the straightest of kids had some curiosity about other boys' bodies at that age, for someone like me who really wanted to look openly but knew I couldn't, it was always weird. Though I do have memories of seeing my first uncut guy in 4th grade (some of the boys were making fun of him - but I was secretly fascinated lol - I bet they were too, actually), and then also I remember when a friend of mine (a boy named Tim that I had a crush on, and did get to fool around with just a very little - and he was nicely hung for his age too) got a boner in the gym showers, and got teased for it.

 

Aside from moments like that, lol, I always hated the whole gym experience.

 

I haven't set foot in a grade school locker room in ages lol - but I take it that in many places, communal showers aren't used any more? Frankly, I applaud that. I'm not against nudity by any means, but to EXPECT all grade schoolers to HAVE to shower together, etc? I tend to wish that we had had the choice not to in my day. If youngsters are allowed private showers nowadays, I think that's great.

[thickornotatall]

It's so hot and humid where we live that the less clothing the better..at home I swim nude...walk around the pool area nude...we have 40' high bamboo hedges 15' deep...at night we swim nude...the air conditioning makes life here tolerable...so we dress inside...even our dogs are nude...

[+ WilliamM]

I noticed this long ago and attributed it to the “older crowd” having had military service back in the days of the draft. “In my day...” there was no privacy in military training and during many types of later service.

k

 

 

I lived in a space in tbe Army where the communal shower was only steps away from the beds. For those who showered at night, there was no need to use underwear very often.

 

Everyone had already seen them naked naked often.

[tchm]

I noticed this long ago and attributed it to the “older crowd” having had military service back in the days of the draft. “In my day...” there was no privacy in military training and during many types of later service.

 

This did it for me. You HAVE TO shower with and change clothes in front of 20-30 other naked guys. You share a room with 3 other guys and have guys running around naked in the barracks. By the time I got out of the military, every last bit of my inhibition and guilt about nudity (thanks to a fanatically religious family) has been shredded.

[+ WilliamM]

This did it for me. You HAVE TO shower with and change clothes in front of 20-30 other naked guys. You share a room with 3 other guys and have guys running around naked in the barracks. By the time I got out of the military, every last bit of my inhibition and guilt about nudity (thanks to a fanatically religious family) has been shredded.

 

Also true of my high school gym classes, shower rooms at some beachers where nobody left bathing suits on ever.

[+ SundayZip]

Was at a nude/clothing optional beach today. Every age, body shape and flaccid size imaginable!

 

Four young men (early 20s?) came down. They wrapped a towel around themselves while pants still on (not even down to underwear) and then went through amazing contortions to get pants & underwear off and bathing suit on UNDER the towel. Ridiculously amazing.

 

What goes? Why? I have heard friends mention similar at the Gym.

 

Anyone know why this is?

 

So, a @HornyRetiree was watching all the young men coming down to the beach... Could that be why they were reluctant to show off their junk?

 

( Full Disclosure: I'd be watching too )

[+ HornyRetiree]

So, a @HornyRetiree was watching all the young men coming down to the beach... Could that be why they were reluctant to show off their junk?

 

( Full Disclosure: I'd be watching too )

 

LOL - Beach was crowded nude guys, with every age, shape, flaccid size this is — There was plenty of eye candy — SOME REAL HOT , uncut, French Canadians! (my heart be still - and my cock stay flaccid!) I noticed because the four of them walked through all the nudity, found an empty spot and then proceeded to do this ridiculous, awkward and hilarious towel dance! Would I have looked discretely - sure, like I see all naked men in non-sexual situations like this was.

[+ WilliamM]

LOL - Beach was crowded nude guys, with every age, shape, flaccid size this is — There was plenty of eye candy — SOME REAL HOT , uncut, French Canadians! (my heart be still - and my cock stay flaccid!) I noticed because the four of them walked through all the nudity, found an empty spot and then proceeded to do this ridiculous, awkward and hilarious towel dance! Would I habe looked discretely - sure, like I see all maked men in non-sexual situations like this was.

 

The last I went often to nude beach near Santa Cruz, CA was around 1981.I saw more naked male butts than before, one world class. I hope he made use of his asset.

[JayCeeKy]

This did it for me. You HAVE TO shower with and change clothes in front of 20-30 other naked guys. You share a room with 3 other guys and have guys running around naked in the barracks. By the time I got out of the military, every last bit of my inhibition and guilt about nudity (thanks to a fanatically religious family) has been shredded.

 

Not every veteran of the military ended his service to country as uninhibited. I just completed Ron Chernow's book on Grant.

 

Ulysses S. Grant, West Point graduate and General of the Army was so shy that he wouldn't change his clothes or shower in front of his men. And if you're thinking that you don't particularly like showing your junk to other dudes either, remember that they were at war. Officers bathed by stripping and having their men pour water on them. It was the same for everybody -- there is no privacy in a huge camp with thousands of men. Everybody except for Grant, who hid in his tent and bathed alone.

 

In his 60's he boasted that no one had seen him naked since he was a child. Since he was married and fathered five children we presume that his wife was an exception to the no-nudity rule.

[+ Avalon]

Not every veteran of the military ended his service to country as uninhibited. I just completed Ron Chernow's book on Grant.

 

Ulysses S. Grant, West Point graduate and General of the Army was so shy that he wouldn't change his clothes or shower in front of his men. And if you're thinking that you don't particularly like showing your junk to other dudes either, remember that they were at war. Officers bathed by stripping and having their men pour water on them. It was the same for everybody -- there is no privacy in a huge camp with thousands of men. Everybody except for Grant, who hid in his tent and bathed alone.

 

In his 60's he boasted that no one had seen him naked since he was a child. Since he was married and fathered five children we presume that his wife was an exception to the no-nudity rule.

 

I once read about a Saudi couple who said that they had not seen each other naked although they had had sex and children. It did not go into details. I guess they just unclothed enough to have sex.

[+ sniper]

Also true of my high school gym classes, shower rooms at some beachers where nobody left bathing suits on ever.

My high school gym classes didn't give you enough time to shower. As for sports I only did track and in four years I think I saw three boys use the shower and only once or twice each. Not sure what the other teams did but I never saw the showers being used by the other teams.

[+ sniper]

Regarding cameras at the nude beach, I think it's incredibly tacky but it definitely happens. A friend recently posted a pic of himself on his towel to social media saying suns out buns out and I called him out for including a bunch of people in the background.

[+ HornyRetiree]

 

In his 60's he boasted that no one had seen him naked since he was a child. Since he was married and fathered five children we presume that his wife was an exception to the no-nudity rule.

 

NOT Necesarily! Back then couples often kept night clothes on and under cover of darkness and/or bed covers slipped the hard cock into wife as she “did her duty” - thus 5 kids could ne had w/ any one seeing him naked or seeing his cock.

 

It makes you wonder if Grant was a “grower” !

[+ HornyRetiree]

Regarding cameras at the nude beach, I think it's incredibly tacky but it definitely happens. A friend recently posted a pic of himself on his towel to social media saying suns out buns out and I called him out for including a bunch of people in the background.

 

Were they nude too? If so, should have been cropped.