My Naked Self
A group for those wishing to explore and discuss how nudism and naked self portraits (aka nude selfies) help us explore our personal, social and cultural identities and how we express these aspects of self. All photos welcome with accompanying meaningful text to convey how the pic is an expression or exploration of self and identity. Please note - Private accounts or those with nothing to share...
- created by simone_b_free
New members feel free to say hi! We're here to be 'real' .
Return to DiscussionsHello all, I hope you are really well. The world is not getting any simpler or easier to live in just now but it seems that our shared love of being naked keeps us connected to the simple pleasures that make life worth living no matter what else is going on in the world. It is autumn here and the days are cooler and shorter though there are still pockets of sun to be caught in the garden here and there. My naked self is showing up more in my writing than my photos at the moment, in being authentic and 'real' and it is interesting how many people comment on authenticity and finding someone 'real' to talk to. What do you notice? How can you tell who are the 'real' people online? The genuine beings showing up as they say they do?
Hello all, I hope you are really well. The world is not getting any simpler or easier to live in just now but it seems that our shared love of being naked keeps us connected to the simple pleasures that make life worth living no matter what else is going on in the world. It is autumn here and the days are cooler and shorter though there are still pockets of sun to be caught in the garden here and there. My naked self is showing up more in my writing than my photos at the moment, in being authentic and 'real' and it is interesting how many people comment on authenticity and finding someone 'real' to talk to. What do you notice? How can you tell who are the 'real' people online? The genuine beings showing up as they say they do?
Hey hey, I doing great thank you :). I notice a lot of just one topic (obviously naturism) talks, like what do you do for naturism? Often is asked if I'm naked at that moment (like why is that in any sense important???) and sometimes directly to towards s*x. But also Ive got some great talks where the conversation flows, great blogs and interesting people (one Ive met from TN and had an activity with, which was great, others I know in real life and discover they are also on TN). Google reverse image search helps to find if the pictures are real. Also if people have some of introduction text is important for me. Picture in general, if people respond on forums and if they are certified, if they are from the Netherlands, I think its important they can speak Dutch (its a bit arbitrary but if they cant speak Dutch its possible because they dont have any bonds to the Netherlands) and last but not least if they have enough details or specific things. But still after all the things people can be not real still yeah it takes also a bit of trust. Long response hope its helpfull :)
I tend to keep photos to a minimum, and prefer to engage in the topics. I did certify (before the MC edict) to support that ideal of being open and genuine.
Agree that the oncoming southern-hemisphere winter curbs activities, but a Queensland holiday break could coax me out of my clothing. Not happening for now, though.
Hi Simone, nude life can truly be a difficult journey to navigate. Ensuring connection with real people with genuine and authentic agenda is a key part of this wonderful lifestyle.
Once naked we show our true selves with nothing supposedly left to hide. But what can still be left undisclosed is intent or agenda.
Whilst the vast majority of people I encounter in the online nudie community are genuine and have no agenda of harm, sadly between the bots, fakes and even some real people there are still those with harm as an agenda.
As nudies we are also at risk of the agendas of the non-nude community too. Whilst they don't see their agenda as harm they don't understand taking away the freedom to be ourselves is in its own right a harm.
But still this is part of the greatness of being human and being nudie. The courage to be nude delivers great freedom whilst being at our most vulnerable!
Hi again... yes, the moments of outdoor nudity are getting rarer down here... here's one from today though... genuine...? ... people who post something regularly, be it a comment, a post, a photo... people with one pic loaded 8 months ago and nothing but hundreds of 'friends', I avoid! Best wishes for the winter!
These days you even have to define what you mean by real. People online create personas for online activity. Almost like being in Second Life. Authentic or genuine people is what is missing in so much of the world today.
Weather is now getting good for nudism here in the northern hemisphere, and for some of us it can be short. Talking with real nudists is not temperature sensitive, and can be an enjoyable activity year around, as it is for me. I do enjoy social nudism, taking selfies, and time nude at home.
The topic of real v fake people online is a sensitive topic isn't!? None of us want to feel tricked or played or taken for a ride but we all want to connect with other humans in authentic ways. Trouble is, from my perspective, very few of us put any effort in to being 'real' ourselves and expect others to do the work of connecting and sharing for us. So easy to point the finger at everyone else and make it 'their' fault. Taking the time to develop deep self awareness, to really know who you are and what you stand for, your values and ethics, and then presenting in a consistent way, whether you use your real name or not, will help you to show up as authentic. Trouble for most people is that this takes time and effort - isn't there an app or a 5 minute quiz or something for that??? Nope. No short cuts to really getting to know yourself and do the inner work it takes to be the best version of yourself you can be. But imagine: If each of us took responsibility for our own authenticity, for showing up consistently aligned with our values, our online communities, and the rest of the world, would be a much kinder, safer place to be. Namaste Sx
How important is authenticity here on TN, or indeed anywhere? Are there degrees of authenticity, or areas where it is vital and other areas where it is not? If you believe (as I do) that authenticity is important, how can it successfully be both discerned and projected?
To the first and second questions: Authenticity in communicating one's principles is the bedrock upon which solid, meaningful interactions can take place, and upon which mutual understanding can occur. So to me, honesty with respect to fundamental principles is vital. But in an often misunderstood and sometimes maligned subset of society such as gathers here, anonymity is important to some, and so less that complete honesty in the form of "little white lies" in identifying characteristics is reasonable, at least to me. (Perhaps that "45 year old man" is actually 50; perhaps he lives in rural Minnesota rather than in Minneapolis.)
To the question of projecting and detecting authenticity (and detecting dishonesty): Clear, consistent communication is key to building trust and to knowing a person's opinions and values. (These are much more important than appearance, which is why, like SunnysideSteve, I much prefer topical discussions to photos.) And here is the intersection to the question of degrees of authenticity: little white lies aren't significant even in the unlikely event they become known, and hence are unlikely to damage trust. Bigger, more significant lies -- that "25 year old unmarried woman" is actually a 45 year old married man, for instance, and he lives not in Minneapolis but in Moscow -- place a cap, a limit on discussions lest the lies be discovered; for if discovered, they completely destroy trust and damage any interactions to that point beyond repair. And to what end? Far better to be open and honest with significant details at the outset, in my view.
Some very thoughtful and well considered responses here thank you! What is coming up for me now is the difference between being real/honest/truthful with others - sharing who you are in your day to day life - and being real and authentic in your self - being comfortable admitting to your self you who are.
Short of being a sociopath, most don't lie about being younger or a different gender or married etc. unless they wish it wasn't true about them. Choosing not to share everything about your self online or when meeting someone the first time is sensible, but lying, even just a little, to make your self look more attractive or appealing in some way is a slippery slope...
Authenticity starts with being honest about who you are, with yourself. Once you can accept and love your self, as you are, no lies are needed. No need for stretching the truth or twisting it to justify or defend your self, when you are grounded in healthy self love. There is very little reason for any lies, even little white ones when you are accepting, comfortable and honest with your self.... in my opinion, integrity is sexy.
Such a rich topic area to explore! I'm glad, Simone, that you brought up being authentic with yourself. (I didn't go there previously because, let's face it, my post was too long already :) "Integrity is sexy" -- what a great sentiment! But even here, complications arise: not everyone is self-aware enough to know where they aren't being honest with themselves. To my mind, an aspect of maturity is having an accurate understanding of yourself; another is having the confidence to accept who you are, and allow yourself to interact with others openly and honestly.