Why are we ashamed to be naked?

[Laurens]

I can understand the practicality of wearing clothing, however the reasons for most of us actually being embarrassed to be naked in front of others is quite hard for me to understand.

I guess it probably has something to do with more complex psychology, such as our perception of our own body image, perhaps coupled with cultural influence - culture can affect us to the point of having strong impulses and feelings that we seemingly cannot avoid, for example most of us would feel physically repulsed at the notion of eating a grub or insect larvae, despite being perfectly nutritious, whilst other cultures are not repulsed by it at all, and actually quite enjoy eating them. So perhaps its a cultural thing. I'm not entirely sure.

Does anyone know why we feel ashamed to be naked in front of others?

 

[nasher168]

Well off the top of my head... if we consider that our ancestors were frequently malnourished, it's not implausible that natural and sexual selection encouraged clothing. If you can't see how muscly they are, maybe you would be less inclined to fight them in case you lose. Similarly, if you can't see that their ribs are showing through-if clothes leave more to the imagination, so to speak-you might be more inclined to have sex with them.

 

[Laurens]

Well off the top of my head... if we consider that our ancestors were frequently malnourished, it's not implausible that natural and sexual selection encouraged clothing. If you can't see how muscly they are, maybe you would be less inclined to fight them in case you lose. Similarly, if you can't see that their ribs are showing through-if clothes leave more to the imagination, so to speak-you might be more inclined to have sex with them.

I like this answer, but the main point on which I'd question it is that some cultures do not seem to have any shame in showing their body, if not fully at least partially (I refer mainly to indigenous tribes and such, who often wear very little clothing).

This is what made me wonder whether it is a cultural thing, rather than something biological.

 

[Anachronous Rex]

Off the top of my head I can think of a dozen or more cultures where near-total nudity is not in any way discouraged. Although - at least as far as I am aware - covering of the anus and genitals appears to be universal. That may be for practical reasons however (plus nobody likes to see poop stains), so I would recommend against reading too much into it.

Agricultural societies as a rule tend to be very possessive, with a lot of emphasis on who owns what and so on. I don't think under these circumstances encouraging people (especially women, especially your women) to hide their sexual characteristics from others should be surprising; and that translates fairly directly into stigma for those who don't.

 

[Inferno]

Because our Penis is smaller than average? :lol:

 

[Deleted member 619]

This topic should be in the religion forum, and that's my answer to the question as well.

 

[nudger1964]

Because our Penis is smaller than average? :lol:

i would like to point out that this is infernos personal view and is not representing the views of the forum in general


to the OP, i dont see any complex psychology going on. it seems to me it is determined by what is normal behavior within your community. in some cultures men walk around in what can only be described as a dress, but most men in western cultures would be just as embarrased to do that as they would be naked... becuase it is not usual behavior.

 

[Laurens]

Off the top of my head I can think of a dozen or more cultures where near-total nudity is not in any way discouraged. Although - at least as far as I am aware - covering of the anus and genitals appears to be universal. That may be for practical reasons however (plus nobody likes to see poop stains), so I would recommend against reading too much into it.

Agricultural societies as a rule tend to be very possessive, with a lot of emphasis on who owns what and so on. I don't think under these circumstances encouraging people (especially women, especially your women) to hide their sexual characteristics from others should be surprising; and that translates fairly directly into stigma for those who don't.

That's what makes it an interesting question for me. I'd actually feel a strong sense of anxiety to walk down the street with no clothes on, or even just in my boxer shorts, but someone from a different culture might not feel like that at all.

So if it is a cultural thing, it shows how much culture can affect you. It's like I was saying about different cultures dietary habits, some cultures eat things that would make us wretch if we tried to eat them - despite the food being nutritious. I find it interesting that culture can have an effect on what you physically feel, such as shame around nudity or disgust at certain foods.

 

[sgrunterundt]

This topic should be in the religion forum, and that's my answer to the question as well.

No it shouldn't. A lot of research shows that it is an instinctive thing too, and not just a cultural thing (although culture can greatly exaggerate it), and therefore there must be an evolutionary mechanism behind it.

It is more pronounced in women than in men, and it may have to do with hiding the menstrual cycle and therefor whether a woman is fertile or not.

Disclaimer: I am speaking from a faulty memory of stuff read long ago here. I don't feel like looking for references right now.

 

[Dean]

Laurens

[ ... ] I'd actually feel a strong sense of anxiety to walk down the street with no clothes on [ ... ] someone from a different culture might not feel like that at all.

[ ... ] if it is a cultural thing, it shows how much culture can affect you. [ ... ] I find it interesting that culture can have an effect on what you physically feel, such as shame around nudity or disgust at certain foods.

Well, I would have thought this to be a well know fact. It might also be worth bearing in mind philological and psychological research that has shown colour vision (another example) -- can be influenced or even structured by language. Apparently, the words one teaches children to recognize colour by can actually effect (to some degree) the way infants' brains develop to processes colour. Obviously, this is also a cultural phenomenon (depending on how you classify language).

Likewise, feelings of guilt and shame associated with nudity are almost certainly culture/context dependent. And as Anachronous Rex has pointed out, it is by no means unchanging from culture to culture, though displaying one's genitals etc. is generally frowned on. Also: an aspect you appear to have missed is the tendency of Western Cultures (e.g. the film industry) to "prefer" -- in a manner of speaking -- female nudity to male nudity. The media and general public shies away from depicting the penis because it is an explicit agent of arousal, even when not stimulated, while the vagina is a neutral signifier. Just sayin'.

 

[nasher168]

I like this answer, but the main point on which I'd question it is that some cultures do not seem to have any shame in showing their body

Hmm. I would suggest that all or most of those cultures are from tropical regions where it is hot, but water is generally still available (I don't know this, I'm just speculating).
Cultures in cold areas like Europe that felt no shame in removing their clothes might die out more easily. If we treat memes like genes, a meme that makes one uncomfortably cold might not be likely to survive. People would just stop doing it. And over time, perhaps they would come up with a justification (like shame) to ensure no one does it.

This also applies in arid conditions like the middle east, where it is better to prevent the sun reaching you at all than to lose water through sweat. So people would wear bright clothes to reflect light, and cover up more than you might be inclined to in Europe.

 

[Deleted member 619]

This topic should be in the religion forum, and that's my answer to the question as well.

No it shouldn't. A lot of research shows that it is an instinctive thing too, and not just a cultural thing (although culture can greatly exaggerate it), and therefore there must be an evolutionary mechanism behind it.

It is more pronounced in women than in men, and it may have to do with hiding the menstrual cycle and therefor whether a woman is fertile or not.

Disclaimer: I am speaking from a faulty memory of stuff read long ago here. I don't feel like looking for references right now.

I'll take your word for it.

Oh, wait. No I bloody won't. Citation needed.

 

[Anachronous Rex]

I like this answer, but the main point on which I'd question it is that some cultures do not seem to have any shame in showing their body

Hmm. I would suggest that all or most of those cultures are from tropical regions where it is hot, but water is generally still available (I don't know this, I'm just speculating).
Cultures in cold areas like Europe that felt no shame in removing their clothes might die out more easily. If we treat memes like genes, a meme that makes one uncomfortably cold might not be likely to survive. People would just stop doing it. And over time, perhaps they would come up with a justification (like shame) to ensure no one does it.

This also applies in arid conditions like the middle east, where it is better to prevent the sun reaching you at all than to lose water through sweat. So people would wear bright clothes to reflect light, and cover up more than you might be inclined to in Europe.

Social attitudes towards nudity are not a climate driven phenomenon, or at least not purely one. I would point to the Inuit, who traditionally displayed no stigma associated with nudity whatsoever despite the frigid conditions of the arctic.

Also, many Bedouins wear black clothing, though that may have something to do with their sheep being black.