Is that a lèche-cul emoji? 
In some contexts it’s considered rude not to stare at someone 
. It’s an important part of drinking culture, something I learned from my German born nephew.
In France bien élevé people don’t stare, they do a bit more than in the UK but you wouldn’t really notice. Personal remarks are not taboo as they are in the UK which is a big difference. Alas it seems everywhere many people are mal élevés, even if it isn’t deliberate - social skills seem to be dwindling. Many schoolchildren now learn social skills only at school, but they should be learning them at home (éducation rather than instruction) and are increasingly feral. I was on a tram the other day with a bunch of German 12 to 14 year-olds, although accompanied by their teachers, who were loud and obnoxious in a way we in France wouldn’t tolerate.
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When I lived in Germany, the appartement complex we lived in had both a sauna and a pool (nice little number). It was quite common to meet one’s neighbours in the altogether, although prior reservation was encouraged to avoid overcrowding and maintain a sense of quiet time for oneself.
Hi I really think we are too prudish. We are wasting our lives not being open and free not only with others but our spouses etc. Due to circumstances, at 80 have found out what many of us miss out on our intimacy, and possibly why there are so many broken marriages and couples. We are not told about our ways of pleasure and respect of others, nor how our naked intimacy can help our lives. Sad it took me to 80 to find out.
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I find the whole idea that a tag identifies a person to be a little simple and even abhorrent. Anglo-saxon was a medieval cultural group and Germanic based which I don’t think describes me.
How small an area do you need to be able to decide what type of person I am? I’m human, though not particularly proud of it, I was born in the UK but lived most of my life in France, which is why I stated European, I feel more European than either British or French (what’s a few miles/kms of water anyway) and it differentiates me from American for example. I was born in the Midlands, an urban area in the north of the Leicester, if that helps, multi racial, multi cultural working/lower middle class area. I attended a massive comprehensive school, went to university in the midlands and then masters at Cambridge. In France I’ve lived mostly in the South West either rural or coastal, predominantly white and passively racist areas.
I’m not sure how much more detail you desire.
Maybe you could now answer why you need to be completely naked in a public area, even though you have that possibility in private areas. This is the knowledge that I’m trying to understand.
Les AngloSaxons is what we call people with a particular usually British/USAmerican heritage and set of values, possibly Australians as well and others with that cultural mindset. You may live in France but you don’t think the way we do. You aren’t formatted the same way.
As for ‘feeling European’ what does that even mean, it’s too vague and vast, Europe is very variegated. Even within countries.
As for ‘needing to be completely naked in a public area’ you are overthinking it, why wouldn’t we be naked on a beach, it’s more comfortable. That’s why people go to beaches like super sud in Lacanau rather than the town centre one. There are social rules we keep to and we can do what we want unless explicitly forbidden, on est en république.
I still think equating being naked to rape and murder is a profoundly weird and unwholesome comparison and think a psy would have plenty to explore.
What do you mean by feeling European? For me as a French person living partly in Germany educated mainly in the UK what you have written here comes across as AngloSaxon and insular.
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We’re all unique Vero, I don’t even have the same mindset as my brother and sisters or my wife. Everyone is different and tags like anglo saxon or British or French are dangerous. I am “variegated” (most of us are, aren’t we?)so European suits me fine. A Psychologist would have a field day with me, but then I hear you classing yourself as a “French person” and I don’t think you realise that a Psychologist would probably have fun with you too. After all what do you class as “French” in the 21st Century? What’s your definition? I’d suggest, and I know that I shouldn’t, that you’d find me more similar to you than many people living and born in France.
“Overthinking” is a word that is often attached to me, so you’ve probably got that right. My inner voice discusses these things over and over 
. I have no problem with nudism on allocated beaches, However I see it all the time on public beaches, that’s my gripe.
You’ve still avoided answering my question of WHY you need to take off that last small piece of clothing in public areas. What is it that drives you? Why do you need to do it?
“On est en république” is so white French! I love France, it’s one of the best places to live in the world, but let’s not pretend that non-whites are treated the same as whites, or that the poor are treated the same as the rich, or even that LGBTQ+ are treated the same as Heterosexuals or that Muslims are treated the same as non-muslims. The freedoms you feel and boast are NOT held by a large part of the population even in Lacanau.
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I do not believe that comment is valid unless you are a psychologist,
Relatives biological son prefers to be a girl at the moment and the school and class mates take a very liberal stance, no shaming at all from what he told me.
There aren’t many days in the UK when you want to be outdoors in the buff, usually too bloody cold!
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Have you never been to Liverpool on a sunny day, or Newcastle when the clouds part?
Many, many topless men.
As someone who lived opposite both England’s first nudist beach (black rock, east Brighton) and Dukes Mound, the area where for well over a century chaps who like chaps have been gathering to… shake hands…, I can safely say that both still get excellent use spring, summer, autumn or yes, even winter. Many a time a couple of decades ago I thought I’d just sneak across to the beach for a bit of a tan sans tan lines, safe in the knowledge it will be empty to find it absolutely heaving with all sorts, and with all sorts happening in the bushes on the way down to the beach…
I think this habit might be of more interest to a psychologist ( I can say this because I have studied psychology at a high level) than whether you call yourself European or not.
Before we were married - so still teenagers - we slipped away to Brighton in the spring when there was still a nip in the air, and being everso slightly risque, sat on the beach not expecting anyone to be nude. Which of course they were - males - and very proud of the fact too.
Everyone has a different inner voice. Some actually hear it like normal speech. Don’t you talk to yourself inside your head? Do you talk to yourself out loud? Is it a conversation or just statements? Full sentences, part phrases or just words? I’d be more worried by people who don’t think about their actions than those that do. I’m also Aphantasic - no visual imagery in my head at all - so maybe the voice compensates 
I have. Not sure of your point. If anything you’re re-enforcing what I’m saying, however topless is nothing to do with nude/naked is it? I’m trying to understand why a person wants to take off that small piece of clothing covering their sexual organs in public. FYI I’m topless in my lounge, in front of a fan looking out over the sea at the moment.
Hmmm…very interesting discussions and debate between @vero and @Johnnnnn.
I do also believe that in the country which spawned that horrible Benny Hill and other core blimey ‘humour’, us UK’ers are cursed with some sort of weird body shaming perhaps from birth hence I think bad attitudes towards nudity in general and the ‘omg..did you see that’ reaction to folk in the nude on a beach. I blame religions, cucumber sandwiches and general miopia.
I can’t speak for French beaches but in NL, the beaches tend to go from naturist to textile every km or so and they are well sign posted. There is no compunction to be naked or clothed on the naturist strand and where the two zone meet, there is a melange.
All seemed perfectly normal and natural to me and everyone else. No gawping, not inappropriate behaviours just chillaxing amongst friends of all ages….and, if this wasn’t your cup of tea, there are always the more commercial tacky crappy places with the normal hotdog stands…sans nudity.
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I’m looking for where you wrote that to vero, can’t see it. As for your LGBTQ+ comment, that’s great, if you think it’s the same everywhere though, think again.
Documentedly French as far back as about 1300, will that do? French being my native language? Belonging in France? Not having a problem with nudity on the beach? Plenty of other ways of being French but that’s mine.
On the beach, where we can be à poil if we want to and like lots of people I keep to my lifelong habit. Some reasons: who wants tan lines, its quicker and less faffing about - you arrive, you undress, you swim, you lie on the beach reading your book, you swim, you read a bit more, you swim a bit more, you read a bit more, you get dressed, you go away. I don’t like having sand in a bathing suit and I don’t like sitting let alone lying around in something wet, I had enough of that back in the day when I swam competitively.
Bikinis are a pain, those à complication are much more fetishistic and attentionseeking than wearing nothing, even simple ones are a palaver, and I’m not going to wear the sort of thing I wore for racing in a pool, for leisure on a beach.
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That’s so weird, because I don’t. On the other hand I’m not looking.