Is decency, when it comes to the naked body, normal? Natural? After years of working on myself, I feel I can clearly say NO.
Even though culturally we often attribute a positive connotation to it, the term “decency” literally means “shame.” And shame should be the result of something dishonorable, wrong. While there is nothing wrong with a naked body and, for some reason, we accept the nudity of a child, but not that of an adult.
Sometimes we attribute to decency the meaning of privacy, but once again, why should we be private? What do we have to hide? We hide what we do not like, what we do not want to be seen. While there is perfection and beauty in every human body, and it is time to drop the fig leaf.
Reflecting on these issues is pointless if the emotion we feel strongly opposes logic: if we do not feel comfortable with nudity, it is because of the strongly repressive approach to the body and sex in which we have grown up. However, this does not exempt us from consciously working on it, and sooner or later, we should all do it.
If you have the opportunity, let yourself be influenced by the Central-Northern European culture, in which the naked body is seen in a completely natural way, even in mixed-gender contexts; try a spa or a naturist beach and enjoy the sense of simplicity and naturalness that these experiences can give. Or, if you want to go further, try a Tantra massage.