Can we unlearn shame?

Question

And, what I mean is the shame most of us have when it comes to nudity and the human body.

Answer 1

I don't know if you can unlearn shame, but if you are subjected to enough of it, you get used to it almost to the point that you are no longer ashamed.

Answer 2

Haven't we been through this one before?

I repeat what I said before: certain parts of my body are to be shared (visually or otherwise) only with my significant other, just as there are things I would say to him and no other.

Comments

I don't think you understand the question.

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Then by all means, enlighten me.

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First of all, do you somehow feel ashamed of the human body that you feel it must always be covered up, except with your significant other?

And secondly...secondly...darn it.  I forgot the second thing I was going to say.  Anyway, please answer the first thing.  Maybe I'll think of the second thing after you respond.

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It's less a matter of shame than of the exclusivity of the relationship. 

And, as I think I mentioned the last time this subject came up, there are plenty of weirdos and clods who make crude remarks about a woman's boobs or buns even when she's fully clothed.  Would they behave any better if she were stark naked?  I think not.

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Would they behave any better if she were stark naked?

Maybe not at first because they rarely see a naked woman.  But, if naked women...or nudity in general...were a common sight instead of something that should remain hidden, this perversion of it would eventually diminish.  Consider how nudists are often naked among themselves without sex orgies taking place.  They're used to being naked, so there's no need to objectify others.  They don't have the shame that textiles (or clothed people) have.  Perhaps one reason why many people make such remarks of clothed women is because they use their imagination and wonder what they're hiding underneath.

And, here's an article worth reading.  Don't worry.  There aren't any pictures...at least, none that would offend.  There are, however, many comments below the article with different opinions on the subject.

http://immortallife.info/articles/entry/nudity-provides-health-benefits-for-your-body-and-brain 

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Nudist camps are closely controlled, and troublemakers would quickly be tossed out.

That kind of control would not be possible if nudity were universal, so it's not an experiment I would be willing to try. We would likely become a bonobo society.  [CAUTION: bonobo ape nudity follows]

Answer 3

Of course. Anything you can learn, you can unlearn with the correct information.

To further my answer, in light of your specific question about unlearning shame over one's own naked body: It would not be possible for some to overcome conditioned shame, if the persons in question choose to remain in and involved in the environment that reinforces that shame. Some would not be willing to 'lose their religion', so to speak, in order to be free of clothing. Shame is a controller. It works well. There are also other societal pressures which cause certain people to feel ashamed of their naked body, such as television commercials and roadside billboards that advertise "mommy-rejuvenation" plastic surgery to help you look like a young maiden who's never given birth. We shame young mothers and mothers in general, the old, the overweight, the underweight, the non-Caucasian, the small breasted, the scarred, those with birthmarks, the maimed, and the disabled. Pretty much only wealthy, white females between ages 18 and 28, who haven't given birth, or who have had restorative surgery, can get naked nearly anywhere they choose without repercussion. 

Therefore, in a society in which the majority support the laws governing indecency and agree nudity should be illegal, it will always be dangerous for even those without shame to bare the entirety of their skin, due simply to the fact that they would be subject to criminal charges, and be perceived, in their seldom seen nakedness, to be vulnerable. Clothes are armor against the perversions oppression creates. It's a vicious circle.

Thankfully, there are designated areas (such as nude beaches), in some countries, where people can feel the sun on every inch of their skin, and not surprisingly, these places are remarkably peaceful.  

Comments

Apparently, I had a lot to add to my original answer. There's a lot of nuances to this sort. It would be impossible to dissect it all, as it would be impossible to change society's collective nudity shame.

And, I have one more thing to add. It should never be illegal to wear clothes. You could literally die from exposure, in certain situations.