Male Bonding2
For those who like to explore the concept and dynamics of male bonding. Men are socialized in different ways in different societies, and so many men would like to have close male friendships, yet after spending time establishing a career, primary relationship and live in general, find themselves without close male friends. Many of us want male friends with whom we can share openly without...
- created by AZdesertman
Practical advice
Return to DiscussionsI was first introduced to nudism about 12 years ago. It was a relatively positive experience at first, but it was not too long before I realized how difficult it is to try to retrain my own thinking about body acceptance in our culture. I joined here to make friends, but I soon noticed that it can be very tricky to identify who wants to develop real friendships and who is looking for someone to play. Being very introverted makes it even harder. Not all introverts want to be alone all the time. There are many who want to be with others, but in very small groups of 1 or 2 because larger groups are overwhelming. I figured making online friends would be possible, but when you are not outgoing and are also a bit shy, it seems almost impossible. I went to a nearby resort for a year, but being both introverted and shy, it was very difficult to say 'hi' to people I didn't know. My second year, I suddenly got push-back for being involved in nudism; I had to quit being involved in nudism or risk losing my job. My closest friend got real negative about it, too. I did stop, but I have been isolated since then, and it has very rough. Currently, I have a roommate who is not nudist friendly at all, so I can only be nude in my room. I no longer have that job, so I started to slowly get back into nudism again. However, it is hard to know how to navigate a place like TN because I don't know how to tell who is really sincere.
How does someone who is shy, and who lives in an area that is very much NOT nudist friendly, navigate these waters? Because my experience has been in academia, and I may very well get another job in that field shortly, I have to realistically accept that public knowledge of my being involved in nudism is very likely to make finding a job harder.
How does someone who is shy, and who lives in an area that is very much NOT nudist friendly, navigate these waters?
Great questions! First, nudism is about about not judging others for their naked truth. It is not about being willing to be judged by others for a having casual relationship with clothes. You don't need to make your choice of nudism publically available information and can use the same discretion as your finances, religion and politics. Secondly, accept that nudists are likely more introverted in nature. I differentiate introversion - finding your energy from within - from being shy, which is more about social skills. My theory is that nudists tend to be more introverted and follow their own motivations. If they were exrtoverted, they'd be too concerned about what "others" think to be authentically naked. Google Meyers Brigg Personality Inventory. Lastly, navigating is about seeking a handful of meaningful relationships and accepting from the get go that the vast majority of profiles on this site are either fake or disingenuous. Good luck!