Get naked

There we were. All of us—or at least most of us—in front of the Marketplace taking a picture in the shape of our class year. First-year students. Fresh individuals. It may have been the most memorable experience of my first week at Duke, but looking back I can think of an adaptation to the years-old tradition to make it even more memorable: All of us should have been naked.

The uniform for the photograph, a plain white tee with four large, very familiar blue letters on the front, acquainted me with the college ritual of the free T-shirt giveaway. I wore it with pride, excited to be branded by one of the most prominent institutions in the world. In that moment, I was connected to NCAA basketball champions, cutting-edge researchers and tobacco-growing robber barons all at once. In that moment, all of us on that quad were finally Blue Devils.

But what if we had all showed up to that picture as our bare selves instead?

I remember sitting down on the quad one evening during that first week, listening to some mediocre indie band that was playing and soaking in the refreshing breeze that came my way after a scorching hot afternoon. A fellow student sat down next to me and shared the brightest smile as she settled into the grass. I smiled back and she introduced herself. Of course I forget her name now, but I still haven’t forgotten the first question she asked me, “So, who are you?”

I was taken aback, flustered. I thought of answering with my hometown or what I wanted to study or what dorm I was in or some banal observation about how new and exciting it was to finally be at Duke. I was so used to presenting myself to others as where I had come from or where I wanted to go that I had completely forgotten who I actually was. I was so busy and anxious trying to get acquainted with others that I forgot to spend some time becoming acquainted with myself.

Something stands out about someone who has given heed to the Ancient Greek aphorism of “know thyself.” Usually it’s something subtle like their smile or the confidence with which they speak. Once you notice it, however, it’ll catch you as off-guard as if they were stark naked in a sea of blue and white.

One of the reasons nudity (of any form) can make us uncomfortable is because it reminds us of our vulnerability. Because of that, getting naked, physically or emotionally, requires great care and isn’t something that should be rushed. Practice getting naked in front of people you love and trust first. Take off all of the masks and uniforms that you may wear during the day—the ones you put on yourself and the ones that have been put on you—and in the safety of someone you love, show them who you really are.

For many, the more daunting task is to be able to stand comfortably alone in front of a mirror completely naked. Every one of us has something about ourselves we’re not too fond of, whether it be a physical attribute or something about our personalities, that we wish we could cover up or get rid of forever. It’s a great and never-ending challenge to be able to appreciate ourselves for everything that we are.