Misconceptions - You Can See Everything. That Doesn't Mean You Know Everything.

Apparently, seeing me naked makes it really easy to think you know everything about me.

You don't.

Being a nudist doesn't mean I have no boundaries. Being an exhibitionist doesn't mean what you probably think it means. And putting my body, sexuality, and real name out there doesn't make the rest of me disappear.

There are plenty of assumptions that people make about me and my exposure.

Let's clear up a few of them.

You can see everything. That doesn't mean you know everything.

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Shaun McMurtrie nude above the word “FAQs,” with blue paint splatter background

Misconception: This site is only about nudity.

Nudity is certainly one of the most visible things about this site, and I'm not interested in minimizing its importance to me.

I'd love to be known as the naked guy.

But being naked is still only one part of a much more complicated human being.

This site is also about identity, sexuality, friendship, learning, writing, choices, consequences, body acceptance, authenticity, and the strange business of figuring out who you are and then deciding whether you're willing to let other people see it.

For me, nudity is one of the clearest ways I express all of that.

So yes, this is absolutely a site about being naked.

It's just not only a site about being naked.

Misconception: Being a nudist means I'm always looking for sex.

Being naked isn't automatically about sex for me. It's mostly about comfort, body acceptance, and not carrying shame.

Sex is an important part of my life, and yes, sex for me involves nudity. But nudity doesn't equal sex. Most of the time, being naked is simply how I prefer to exist.

Nudity is not necessarily sex, even though sex, for me, always involves nudity.

Misconception: You must have a perfect body to be this comfortable being naked.

I hope this is a general misconception and not one that you came to after seeing me naked here! I am certainly not the ideal body type!

When I was younger, I avoided being seen. At the beach or pool, I kept my shirt on. I told myself that maybe someday, when I had the perfect body, I'd finally be comfortable.

Over time, I realized that comfort wasn't waiting for me at some imaginary finish line.

My body reflects a lifetime of choices. I've been heavier and thinner. I've exercised more at some points and less at others. All of those choices and experiences have helped create the body I have today.

Anybody who has seen the pictures on this site knows that my body isn't perfect.

But it is perfectly me.

And that's what matters.

Misconception: Nudity is your whole personality.

I'd love to be known as the naked guy, the naked friend, that guy with the dick tattoo that's always naked.

But that's not my entire personality.

Nudity is one facet of a complex person. I have lots of interests: learning, writing, conversation, nature, friendships, and all the ordinary things that make up a life.

I just happen to enjoy doing many of those things naked.

I'm not asking anyone else to be the same. I'm simply describing how I like to live.

NUDITY AND BODY IMAGE

Misconception: Because I'm into exposure, I must be submissive.

People sometimes assume that because I'm into exposure, that means I'm submissive.

That's not true for me.

I understand where the assumption comes from because exposure can be part of a power dynamic in which one person is dominant and the person being exposed is submissive. That's simply not what my exposure fetish is about.

For me, exposure is about pride, openness, and the pleasure of being seen as a whole person.

It isn't a power script for me.

It's about honesty, freedom, and, yes, it turns me on.

Misconception: Exposure is about humiliation or degradation.

Some people experience exposure through humiliation or degradation. I don't judge that, but it's not who I am.

My exposure fetish isn't about being made to feel inferior, ashamed, or less than.

In fact, mine is almost the exact opposite.

For me, exposure is about pride, authenticity, and the pleasure of being seen fully naked.

Misconception: Exhibitionism means violating other people's consent.

My exhibitionism isn't about forcing somebody else to participate in something they didn't choose.

For me, exhibitionism is about being seen by people who opt in. It depends on communication, boundaries, and consent.

If those things aren't present, I'm not interested.

The point is openness, not coercion.

Misconception: Because I'm naked, I'm inviting everyone for sex.

Being naked isn't an open invitation.

It doesn't grant anyone permission to touch me or automatic sexual access to me.

If you encounter me naked in a nonsexual setting, you can approach me the same way you'd approach anyone else: respectfully. In fact, if I'm the only naked person somewhere, it can be a great conversation starter. You can ask me about nudity, my tattoos, or why I've chosen to live this way.

But being comfortable with questions and attention is different from giving someone physical access to me.

Consent and respect still apply. My being naked is about authenticity, not entitlement.

Misconception: You're just an attention seeker.

When I'm in an exhibitionist mood, sure, I enjoy attention. I want people to look at me naked. I enjoy being seen and appreciated.

But day-to-day, I'm mostly just living my life, being myself, doing things I enjoy, and trying to be kind to other people.

I think almost everybody has moments when they want positive attention. Wanting to be seen doesn't mean I want every kind of attention, and I'm certainly not seeking negative attention.

The dream is pretty simple: to live honestly and let that honesty include my nudity.

Misconception: This is all about shock value.

Some people might be shocked by what they find here, and I can live with that.

I'm also not going to pretend there's absolutely arousal in somebody who knows me in another context suddenly discovering this side of me.

But shock isn't the point.

I'm not chasing gasps. I'm trying to be open and to be appreciated as a whole person.

I enjoy being seen. I enjoy being found attractive. And there can certainly be an erotic charge to that when it's mutual and consensual.

My goal, though, is to be appreciated and enjoyed—not simply to shock somebody.

Shaun McMurtrie standing naked outside of the Ernest Hemmingway Home in Key West, FL

EXHIBITIONISM AND EXPOSURE

Misconception: Because you share explicit content, you have no boundaries.

I share explicit content, and my boundaries are probably more open than some people's.

That doesn't mean there are none.

I've even used phrases like "I have no limits" or "I'm completely exposed," because they capture something about how open I want to be. But literally speaking, there are still things I choose not to share.

I don't share the names of family members. I don't identify friends who don't want to participate in this part of my life. I don't share my workplace. Some things remain private because of safety, respect, or because they involve somebody else's story rather than just mine.

I still choose what I share, with whom, and why.

Openness and boundaries can coexist.

Misconception: Being an exhibitionist means you don't value privacy.

Privacy and openness aren't opposites for me.

I choose to reveal a great deal about myself, but the important word there is choose.

Being open doesn't mean that every fact about my life—or about the people connected to me—automatically belongs to everybody else.

There are things I keep private for safety, respect, or simply because they aren't mine alone to share.

I can value exposure and still value boundaries.

Shaun McMurtrie posed looking at his full erection in the pool of Island House, Key West, FL

OPENNESS, PRIVACY, AND BOUNDARIES

Misconception: Someone pressured you into this.

No one pressured me into this. On the contrary, I have had more people tell me NOT to do this!!

I grew up in a conservative home where nudity wasn't part of family life. My early interest in being naked developed privately. As a young man, I found little opportunities to experience that freedom on my own, particularly outdoors, away from everybody else. There was something about being naked in nature that made me feel comfortable and connected.

Exposure came later.

At one point, I saw a good friend do something extraordinarily bold with his own exposure - he showed his driver's license in a zoom room while he was naked and masturbating - and something clicked for me. I remember thinking how daring and confident it seemed and realizing that I wanted some of that freedom for myself.

So was I influenced? Sure. People influence one another all the time.

But influence isn't pressure.

My friend and I ultimately developed very different relationships with exposure. His interests went in one direction and mine developed around pride, openness, and authenticity.

His example may have nudged me. The meaning I gave it—and everything I've done with it since—is mine.

I chose this.

Misconception: You'll regret this someday.

Maybe. It's possible. But, I don't think I will.

Choices shape who we become.

Even if something turns out differently than I expect, it's still part of my growth.

That's how I see this: as a step in becoming more myself, not a mistake to erase.

Misconception: Don't you understand that the internet is forever?

I agree. The internet is forever. And that's why this is a perfect venue for my exposure.

Once you put something out there, you can't really take it back. That's exactly why I don't believe in posting something I haven't thought about or something whose consequences I'm completely unwilling to face.

I understand that what I put online may outlive the moment—or even outlive me.

I'm here on purpose.

I think about the trade-offs, and I'm choosing this knowing that it's permanent.

I'm not looking for a panic button later. I want a record of my naked truth.

CHOICE, INFLUENCE AND PERMANENCE

Misconception: You're trying to convince everyone else to live like you.

Actually, almost the opposite. I kind of enjoy being an outlier. I like being different.

I'm not trying to recruit anybody into nudism, exhibitionism, or into the exposure fetish.

What I'm asking for is much simpler: acceptance.

Let me be who I am without requiring me to hide or conform.

You don't have to want this for yourself to respect it in me.

Misconception: You want everyone's approval.

I know not everyone will agree with my choices. I know even more people are going to be unapproving of my naked body.

Some of the things I do are divisive. They conflict with other people's beliefs, values, or ideas about how someone should live. I understand that, and I know universal acceptance isn't realistic.

I'm not asking for blanket approval.

I'm asking for understanding.

Even if somebody disagrees with my choices, I hope they can still see me as a whole person: somebody trying to live honestly, treat other people kindly, and help people recognize that they have value.

You don't have to agree with me to understand me.

Shaun McMurtrie naked and kneeling, holding a sign that says Authenticity

ACCEPTANCE AND BEING DIFFERENT

Misconception: You can't be professional and openly sexual.

I understand why people think that. But, why not?

In our culture, particularly in the United States, it can feel as though you have to choose: be taken seriously professionally or be honest about having a sexuality.

I felt that tension throughout my career in education.

Teachers can face expectations that extend far beyond what actually happens in the classroom. I remember standing in line at a local store buying beer and having a parent question whether it was appropriate for me to purchase alcohol because I was a teacher.

It was legal. I was off the clock. It had nothing whatsoever to do with my ability to do my job.

But that moment stuck with me because it illustrated how much of themselves some professionals are expected to hide.

Sexuality takes that expectation even further. Plenty of adults maintain private sexual lives while also having successful professional careers. That alone demonstrates that being sexual and being professional aren't inherently incompatible.

The conflict often appears when those two parts of someone's identity become publicly visible at the same time.

I've chosen to be more open about that intersection, knowing there can be real professional and financial consequences.

I'm not saying my choice is easy or that it's right for everyone. I'm saying I don't want to split myself into an acceptable person and a hidden person.

I'm trying to live as one whole person, not in pieces.

Misconception: You're doing this for the money.

I wish. I've made very little money from being naked....so far. (There is a Hire Me! page where you could change that for me.)

If somebody wanted to pay me for activities involving nudity, masturbation, exhibitionism, exposure, and authenticity, fantastic.

But money has never been the reason I'm doing this.

It's expression, not a paycheck.

Though sure, if it someday helps pay a bill or two, I wouldn't complain.