The Naked Truth

Nudity is not a politically correct subject. We are born naked, but spend the rest of our lives with the notion that we must be covered. Eve ate the forbidden fruit and realized, “Whoa, my lady parts are showing, better cover them up with leaves so I don’t give Adam an eyeful.” Nudity carries a stigma that creates fear in polite society. It brings attention to sexuality, which is not accepted when overtly proclaimed. I challenge the long-held societal belief that nudity is taboo. I offer a new perspective: If every human decided to live life stark naked, the world would be a better place.

Growing up as a triplet, I have accidentally walked in on one of my siblings taking a shower in our shared bathroom. As a teenager, I have participated in theatre, where all actors-regardless of gender- change in one small dressing room, and little is left to the imagination. While some of my peers felt uncomfortable quite literally “letting it all hang out,” I never felt squeamish or shy. Perhaps I was born shameless, it’s certainly in my DNA. My great grandmother Kathryn used to say “seen one, seen them all.” She was a woman far ahead of her time, and I am proud to be carrying on the family torch of nudist advocacy.

So, if worldwide nudity was a possible achievement, what would be its’ implications? What would we see if we all decided to live in a state of undress? It’s more of a question of what we would not see. We wouldn’t see religion, socio-economic status, political alignment, reputation, or sexual orientation. We would be left unguarded without our Kate Spade purses, Obama T-shirts, cross necklaces, and obnoxiously tight jeans. Differences would not be incredibly apparent. Instead, we would notice that we all are remarkably similar. We all have limbs, eyes, ears, shoulders, noses, knees, mouths, genitals, fingers, and toes.

In this nude utopia, humanity would have to face the naked truth: underneath all the societal customs that divide us, we are all the same. Soon, we would have to acknowledge that we all experience the same emotions: Love. Hope. Happiness. Disappointment. Frustration. Fear. We all smile when we are happy, cry when we are sad, sweat in the heat, and shiver in the cold. I know that judgments that could be made based on race or body size. However, I’m not saying that a naked society would be perfect. I simply believe it would be inherently more tolerant and accepting. If we acknowledge what is inherently similar between all people, it makes the differences easier to appreciate. Rather than avoid those who are different than us, this appreciation would allow relationships to form across societal and traditional lines.

I know I am going to come in contact with thousands of people in my lifetime, both in college and the scary “real world.” Most of them will be very different than me. But I will always remind myself that our differences should not hinder, but enhance the connections we make and relationships we form with others. After all, how different could we really be? We’d all look pretty similar in the nude.