"Being exposed to average bodies, to average humans, makes you readjust your perspective about what is normal, and what is acceptable, and what is beautiful," says Rachitskiy.
I'm sure that's the crux of it. My own experience of nude beaches is that it feels normal and is very relaxing. You see other people nude and they are all normal bodies with all sorts of variety.
I don't see how this really works. Sure you see that most people have average bodies but when you see someone who looks like a Roman statue or has an otherwise "perfect" body then would you not still compare yourself to that?
Because it doesn't work, or works only trivially. Yes, seeing other bodies can make you feel better about yours, but it can make you feel worse too.
Depends on the distribution of bodies, which ones you focus on, and your attitudes to beauty in general. Seeing a bunch of normal things doesn't magically make those normal things all suddenly beautiful or okay, beauty and aesthetic desirability are almost always about the exceptional, practically by definition.
You can put me in a room full of mostly obese people, and tell me this is normal and representative of average (which it may well, in America), and you aren't going to change my mind about that obesity being ugly or undesirable. There are actual facts here, beauty and attractiveness aren't purely socially constructed.
If you are living in northern Europe, you can also just go to a sauna.
The core conclusion "makes you feel better about yourself" is really a no-brainer if you regularly go to a sauna. Plus, as bonus, it's healthy for your cardiovascular system, your immune system and probably for your skin too.
I would. I'd argue it's only in recent times humans have hidden the body with clothing and made just about everything taboo and you've been brain-washed to think that is OK. It's only illegal because some people found it offensive and now all people find it offensive.
No one is doing this in public places where children are. These are presumably designated nude beaches and nudist colonies. So as long as you don’t bring your children there intentionally they should be safe.
"Being exposed to average bodies, to average humans, makes you readjust your perspective about what is normal, and what is acceptable, and what is beautiful," says Rachitskiy.
I'm sure that's the crux of it. My own experience of nude beaches is that it feels normal and is very relaxing. You see other people nude and they are all normal bodies with all sorts of variety.
I don't see how this really works. Sure you see that most people have average bodies but when you see someone who looks like a Roman statue or has an otherwise "perfect" body then would you not still compare yourself to that?
Because it doesn't work, or works only trivially. Yes, seeing other bodies can make you feel better about yours, but it can make you feel worse too.
Depends on the distribution of bodies, which ones you focus on, and your attitudes to beauty in general. Seeing a bunch of normal things doesn't magically make those normal things all suddenly beautiful or okay, beauty and aesthetic desirability are almost always about the exceptional, practically by definition.
You can put me in a room full of mostly obese people, and tell me this is normal and representative of average (which it may well, in America), and you aren't going to change my mind about that obesity being ugly or undesirable. There are actual facts here, beauty and attractiveness aren't purely socially constructed.
EDIT: The only actual supporting non-correlational "study" is funded by British Naturism, and has 52 participants, with all the usual hallmarks of bad social psych as well https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/28407/1/2020.03.09%20M...
Sure, but given that you see what the average looks like you understand that that perfect body is an exception.
What if you discover that you are exceptionally ugly?
congratulations on being exceptional
Yes, but also to all the other non-perfect bodies. Puts things in perspective.
If you are living in northern Europe, you can also just go to a sauna.
The core conclusion "makes you feel better about yourself" is really a no-brainer if you regularly go to a sauna. Plus, as bonus, it's healthy for your cardiovascular system, your immune system and probably for your skin too.
In theory, sure. For me personally... not so much.
I'm pretty sure if we had sex in public we would feel less weird about sex too. But I wouldn't advocate about that.
I would. I'd argue it's only in recent times humans have hidden the body with clothing and made just about everything taboo and you've been brain-washed to think that is OK. It's only illegal because some people found it offensive and now all people find it offensive.
Just don't do this around other people's children without consent; that's all I ask. Some families aren't as permissive, and that's OK.
No one is doing this in public places where children are. These are presumably designated nude beaches and nudist colonies. So as long as you don’t bring your children there intentionally they should be safe.