Word Thoughts
Mar. 4th, 2007 08:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
helwenPeople see the word "naked" and often the first instant's reaction is that something might be improper or risque.
To be naked is to be uncovered in some way. A person could have no clothing on (often described more clearly as "nude"). Naked tree limbs (winter or dead), naked as in defenceless (unarmed and/or unarmored).
Vulnerable. A weakness (according to some).
Unadorned.
Revealed. Some inner element seen by the observer(s) for better or worse. The "naked truth".
Clothing, makeup, jewelry, are all interesting things. Clothing is a necessity in many instances - safety (fire, cutting damage, etc.), warmth, sun protection. Makeup has its practical aspects -- I have a vague recollection that Egyptian kohl protected eyes in sunlight, especially with the bright sand and such -- football players do something similar -- cuts down on glare. And since the skin functions as a major line of defense against disease and infection, one would be well advised to use healthful soaps and lotions to keep it healthy and intact. Some jewelry is considered necessary by some people -- certain stones and metals are said to have useful properties, and there are the sentimental reasons such as being gifts from dear ones -- I consider love and affection to be a necessity of life, not an option.
But as anyone knows, they can be used to disguise oneself, to 'make a statement', etc. The statement may actually be a representation of one's true self, it may be what the person aspires to, or it may be a deception. Some people put these things on as armor, to protect themselves as they go through their day. "Power ties" and "power lipstick" are phrases people may have heard or read at some point, as an example.
I've dressed up for interviews, to present what the interviewers will hopefully prefer, in hopes that once that's dispensed with, they can get down to the business of getting to know me well enough to determine whether or not I'd be a good fit for their company. In the SCA I try to dress according to what I'll be doing that day, or time of day -- worker, teacher, baroness. I have little use for buying something for fashion's sake, and anyone who knows me, knows I don't keep up with those sorts of trends. Hence the fact that I still have some clothing from 20+ years ago...
Personally, the most important thing to me about clothing is that it's comfortable and functional, but even I have personal color and texture preferences :) Is that vanity? We all have colors we look better or worse in, for sure. But some attractiveness in one's clothing could be a psychological necessity, as much as having a certain amount of private time during the day, a place of one's own for keeping things, a few special mementos we carry through life.
Over time I've moved away from being in positions where I have to dress a certain way to suit others, especially if it's unnatural to me. I'm not keen on being other than myself, although I like to think I've mostly succeeded in being myself regardless of what I'm wearing!
Naked, as noted above, can apply both to physical and nonphysical things (body, truth). Just as we can clothe our bodies, we can also clothe our emotions, our thoughts, our psyches. Some people do it so well, hiding from everyone and/or everything they fear being revealed to, that they end up hiding from themselves. Something I've endeavored not to do, sometimes with success, sometimes not. Traumatic experiences often cause people to go into hiding, to "clothe" themselves in darkness.
It's been an interesting journey through life so far, trying different things out, keeping some things and discarding others -- some because they didn't suit me well, others because I outgrew them.
Currently I'm embarking on new adventures and having a great time trying things out and learning new concepts and skills; completely naked under my clothes :)
To be naked is to be uncovered in some way. A person could have no clothing on (often described more clearly as "nude"). Naked tree limbs (winter or dead), naked as in defenceless (unarmed and/or unarmored).
Vulnerable. A weakness (according to some).
Unadorned.
Revealed. Some inner element seen by the observer(s) for better or worse. The "naked truth".
Clothing, makeup, jewelry, are all interesting things. Clothing is a necessity in many instances - safety (fire, cutting damage, etc.), warmth, sun protection. Makeup has its practical aspects -- I have a vague recollection that Egyptian kohl protected eyes in sunlight, especially with the bright sand and such -- football players do something similar -- cuts down on glare. And since the skin functions as a major line of defense against disease and infection, one would be well advised to use healthful soaps and lotions to keep it healthy and intact. Some jewelry is considered necessary by some people -- certain stones and metals are said to have useful properties, and there are the sentimental reasons such as being gifts from dear ones -- I consider love and affection to be a necessity of life, not an option.
But as anyone knows, they can be used to disguise oneself, to 'make a statement', etc. The statement may actually be a representation of one's true self, it may be what the person aspires to, or it may be a deception. Some people put these things on as armor, to protect themselves as they go through their day. "Power ties" and "power lipstick" are phrases people may have heard or read at some point, as an example.
I've dressed up for interviews, to present what the interviewers will hopefully prefer, in hopes that once that's dispensed with, they can get down to the business of getting to know me well enough to determine whether or not I'd be a good fit for their company. In the SCA I try to dress according to what I'll be doing that day, or time of day -- worker, teacher, baroness. I have little use for buying something for fashion's sake, and anyone who knows me, knows I don't keep up with those sorts of trends. Hence the fact that I still have some clothing from 20+ years ago...
Personally, the most important thing to me about clothing is that it's comfortable and functional, but even I have personal color and texture preferences :) Is that vanity? We all have colors we look better or worse in, for sure. But some attractiveness in one's clothing could be a psychological necessity, as much as having a certain amount of private time during the day, a place of one's own for keeping things, a few special mementos we carry through life.
Over time I've moved away from being in positions where I have to dress a certain way to suit others, especially if it's unnatural to me. I'm not keen on being other than myself, although I like to think I've mostly succeeded in being myself regardless of what I'm wearing!
Naked, as noted above, can apply both to physical and nonphysical things (body, truth). Just as we can clothe our bodies, we can also clothe our emotions, our thoughts, our psyches. Some people do it so well, hiding from everyone and/or everything they fear being revealed to, that they end up hiding from themselves. Something I've endeavored not to do, sometimes with success, sometimes not. Traumatic experiences often cause people to go into hiding, to "clothe" themselves in darkness.
It's been an interesting journey through life so far, trying different things out, keeping some things and discarding others -- some because they didn't suit me well, others because I outgrew them.
Currently I'm embarking on new adventures and having a great time trying things out and learning new concepts and skills; completely naked under my clothes :)
