ARE NATURISTS OBSESSED OR PASSIONATE?

By Ken Sunwalker

“You can be passionate about many things that bring you joy and raise your energy, but an obsession consumes your life and drains you of your energy. . . There is a fine line crossed; a threshold where something goes from being enjoyable or being harrowing.  When something starts limiting your life, or making you disregard doing things you should be doing, you have ventured off into obsessive territory.  Being passionate about something will increase your mental health and give you a greater sense of meaning and fulfillment in life.  Passion and obsession have a Taoist relationship with one another.  Where passion is a positive obsession, you have obsession being a negative passion.  At the end of the day, it comes down to whether what you are focusing on is making you feel better and full of energy or worse and lacking energy.” 

Is naturism an obsession or a passion?  It depends on what you feel, what you do or don’t do.  One person’s obsession is another person’s passion.

If your naturism makes you feel ashamed, afraid, and so embarrassed you must hide your naturist practices from others – family, friends, work, authorities –– thinking ‘what if someone finds out?’, you’re perhaps obsessed.  Some bad, sad, or misinformed people and organizations may indeed try to shun you and make you feel sad – less than - but it’s good to know who those people really are.  Who wants to be around people like that?  They are just trying to drain “you” of life and energy, something they lack!

You don’t need to force your naturist views on others; they may not even want to know the details – but they should at least know that you enjoy and practice naturism.  Otherwise, they’ll likely feel you are trying to hide your feelings about naturism (because you are), are weak and ashamed (because you act that way), and don’t trust them if they find out – and they will.  (This is especially important advice for those with reluctant spouses.)  So, open up and be honest – don’t be obsessed!

On the other hand, when you are able to openly and honestly share your naturist feeling and practices with others, you feel better, become unashamed, powerful, and energetic!  You will enjoy life and naturism more!  Try openness and see how good and eventually normal it feels!  Then you can make a “real” contribution to the naturist cause about which you are so “passionate!”  And others with whom you share learn that at least “one” person they call a family member, friend, or co-worker is “normal”, even though you are passionate about enjoying and practicing naturism.  Passion requires powerful bravery!  Be a converted, passionate naturist today!

“The difference between obsession and passion is that obsession is a compulsive or irrational preoccupation while passion is any great, strong, powerful emotion.” – www.wikidiff.com

I don't think it has to be either to be properly enjoyed. Someone on a yearly holiday to France can enjoy the pleasure and freedom of naturism for that fortnight but then not give it a moments thought until next year when the sun and the sea pulls them to stripping off.

Some may just consider naturism a normal part of their lives. Does that mean they are not passionate? Looking after children or making dinner is a normal part of life. Some can be obsessed and others can be passionate about it. Other just do it as part of life.  I wonder though if passion remains - after all to decide to do something you don't have to and isn't part of the "norm" for many - do you not have to feel passionate enough to make it part of your "norm." To normalise naturism while it remains a minority choice there must be a level of passion there in the first place - even if you have got so used to doing it and feeling it that you have forgotten.

How would you feel if you were told that you could no longer be naked in your home/garden/at your favourite beach etc? Or you could no longer go to your local swim as a family because it had been made 18 and over due to protests? That feeling of passion and even obsession may be reawakened as you feel both cheated and also feel that your "normal behaviour" is being called out as weird or perverse.

In recent years we have certainly chatted with many passionate naturists, a few have shown an obsession. Is it an unhealthy obsession or just really strong feelings. I suppose it depends how it affects them generally. It wouldn't be good to reach a point were you will not function in society because of the demand for clothing.    

For myself I would say it is a passion as it is something that adds great joy to my life on a personal level and is something I desire others understand better and give the chance to appreciate for themselves.

I don not consider myself obsessed by it but their are times when it feels like an addiction. When I have to wear a costume at a local swimming pool for example and it sort of ruins the experience and you want to remove the horrible wet material and enjoy the moment properly. That distraction and frustration can make perfect sense but at the same time can be a little obsessive - am I unable to fully enjoy the moment because I cannot be naked? You try your best, we do as a family, but the want to be naturist at that time still remains and can make you feel that you "need" naturism rather than just "enjoy" it.  

I agree with you Anna, for some naturism is just something that they enjoy on a nice day in the summer on the beach. Some people only consider doing it when abroad on holiday, just like most ladies don't consider going topless on a beach in the UK, but happily will every day for a fortnight while on an everyday beach in a Mediterranean resort. So does that mean the casual naturist is not really a naturist? Does that mean they should tell everyone they enjoy sunbathing naked when on holiday.

No of course not, but if it comes up in conversation, one might admit to it to others. But as Ken said some people may not wish to let their peers and colleagues know this is what they like, due to judgement from others. This does not mean they are obsessed! Does that mean we should shun them, or look down on them? Absolutely not! After all if our only encouragement is "you must talk about it to all your friends and colleagues show you are a real naturist", then we risk turning people off and away.

A true obsession as mentioned in previous posts is an uncontrolable urge, or preoccupation. So by not saying something because you might feel it is either inappropriate, inopportune, or no one elses business is certainly not an obsession. This also does not make you weak of character, or ashamed, because you respect that other people might not want to have the mental image of you strutting proud and naked across an arrid coastline. We all have to learn that what is right for me, is not necessarily right for you, and we are still both equals in this world.

Of course this is where the difficulty lies, because most casual naturists/nudists would not consider a more structured environment such as a naturist resort with strict rules on (un)dress code. However when there are more people wearing bikinis and shorts, than actually nude, then even non-casual naturists might feel awkward being the odd one out. So maybe in the current world we do need clothed spaces, clothing optional places, with the emphasis being on the optional and other places that have a mandatory nude policy. All are absolutely fine and cater to different people.

Whilst no one can doubt Ken's unabashed enthusiasm for the cause, and some might even say inspirational, I think we still have to be careful about using the words like obsessed. We know that many people who enjoy it, don't want to share that with the general public. Consider having a conversation with ay hairdresser while having a trim for an annual holiday to Spain. Honestly I can't imagine hearing her mention she likes to go to Alicante just like me, but she prefers to sunbathe nude or topless there. That is hardly an appropriate conversation and such details are not really that important.

After all, I might enjoy playing Sudoku on my cell phone, I might spend an hour every day doing a puzzle or three. Does that mean I want or need to tell everyone that is what I do over breakfast? Well no I don't, just like me dear old grandmother enjoys going over yesterdays Daily Telegraph at breakfast, with todays edition laid out, uttering profanities about the words she missed on the quick crossword. The whole world doesn't need to know her extensive knowledge of the anglo-saxon vernacular, including four letter words that should not be mentioned in polite company.

Of course this doesn't mean that if it comes up in casual conversation, she will deny enjoying the crossword. These real world, every day conversations go something like this.
"Did you hear the presenters on that breakfast show this morning Mary dear?"
"No I was too busy with that not so quick crossword to really pay attention!"

So should I be considered as being obsessed because I would like to do my Sudoku as nature intended before getting dressed to go out on my first call of the day? I might tell someone in casual conversation, but often we don't go into details with others. Lets be straight, I am hardly going to add that "oh yes, actually I do it in the raw, as you know I am a committed naturist and perhaps you should try to do the same before getting dressed in the morning", because that does sound somewhat more obsessive.

There are times that bringing it up would only cause awkwarness.  Example:  "Do you watch the morning news, just to keep up with current affairs?"  "Yes. I watch naked with a cup of coffee.  And you?"
However, over the past 6 months or so we have had more opportunity than usual to have repainmen and others come to our door by appointment, and I always say, "Please call when you are on your way, just to be sure I'm ready for you."  In almost ever case, they come to the door without calling and have to wait for me to get dressed; in some cases, heading back down the walk before i can get to the door.  In those instances, when they've had to make a return visit, I just remind them that I asked them to call and I say, "If I'm home, I'm naked; so if you want me to be ready at the door and save you time, call ahead."
If anyone with whom I am presonally acquainted suggests stopping by for any reason (to drop something off, etc) I simply say, "I might be naked, so give me a heads up or be willing to wait a minute at the door; but don't go away.  I'll get there." They usually laugh; but if they have to wait at the door, perhaps it will give them time to reflect, "Oh. Yeah. He did warn me, didn't he?"

To the point: I don't think that in most people's minds these exchanges lead them to think about an addiction or obsession on my part; probably more of a lifestyle choice, whether they agree with it or not.

I think there is the awkwardness of bringing naturism up in casual conversation. You don't want an issue to be forced. The same with anything. If I chat about being a veggie, being a film buff or loving jazz - if it is out of the blue then people will think why are you telling me this? Is there a hidden agenda? Do you want to convert me to your way of life? And the trouble with naturism is people ask themselves - Is it sexual? Do you want to display yourself to me?  Do you want me to undress with you? 
Sometimes you talk to someone about something and they show interest other times it falls flat. React to the situation.

I have found most the time we have broken the ice with someone about naturism it has come up quite naturally in a discussion. The reaction has tended to be "Fair enough" even if they may also say "I couldn't do that."

I remember once chatting with about 15-20 people at a restaurant table. Skinny dipping came up (somehow) and everyone at the table said that they had stripped off at a beach or a river at some point in the life with other people who had done the same. The conversation moved on to something else after about 10 minutes. I had known many of these people for sometime and no form of naturism had entered into conversation before or for that matter since. The thing is that we may live next door to a passionate naturist and just not know because it doesn't come up. We tend to only find out things about people when the conversation leads us that way. Religion , politics, relationships, we hardly scratch the surface. How many people hurt? how many are depressed? how many have been abused? People tend to share the weather and possible complain about work or public transport. More than that you need to really cross examine people. Even then there are levels of secrets people do not wish to share. Part of the joy of naturism is the honesty aspect of it. 

I think that is why it can become a passion. The trick in showing your passion for things to others is not to appear obsessed. It is fine on a site like ANW to chat about naturism every day. In the "textile" world you need to show other strings to your bow. I  don't want family and friends to think "Here comes Steve - Time for another discussion on his naturism - I wonder if there is any where I can hide!" The other side of it is to not be obsessed that it takes over your life. A need to get a nude fix while being in a restaurant or the cinema would not be good! Seriously though we often do something and say "It would be nicer if we could be naked" and a mutual agreement is made but we still have to enjoy the day with the clothing expected for the day - even when it may make absolutely no sense at all. I have been with people who have ruined a trip to a museum because of a desperate need to run through it to get out again for a cigarette. I have known people with equal addictions to alcohol and years ago knew some with a need for drugs that stopped them being able to sit through a play in a theatre or a complete meal in a restaurant. When a passion rules your life then maybe it is an obsession. Certainly an unhealthy addiction can make people narrow minded and self centred and the need to feed that addiction will make them cheat, lie and ruin other aspects of their lives. Naturism should always remain a positive pleasure, a joy and a passion.