If this topic has been brought up already, please point me to the thread.... I was wondering, especially among my fellow cuddlees, do you ever bring up in conversation as in "things I like to do", about cuddling? If so, how is it received?
I told my aunt and she just pinched the hell out my cheeks. I told my grandma and she told me she was proud of me and gave me a piece of butterscotch candy out here purse with no wrapper. When I told my uncle he just started telling me storied about back in his day.... Finally I told my mailman and he just looked at me and gave me my neighbors mail.
My bffs know. We joke about it, but it gets less laughs than my friend who owns a car detailing biz.
As a Pro cuddler, I’ve been extremely selective about who I tell, only because I don’t want to give my older, less evolved family members a heart attack. My kids worry a lot about my safety. My friends think it’s wonderful. So it depends on who I’m talking to. I’ve become way more open about it because I can see the benefits for so many people I know.
My boyfriend, friends, and ex-boyfriend know. I tell new people I meet on the internet, or at MeetUp groups, if it makes sense to do so.
As for how people take it, most think it's weird. 😄 But even then, some have joined the site, anyway.
To me, cuddling is a hobby, and while I recognize that it's bizarre to meet strangers and be wrapped around them, soon after, I also find nothing shameful about it. I think it's lovely and the best pastime, ever.
~ Sunset Snuggles
I've wanted to be a cuddler since before it had that name. Back in the day it was just being affectionate. Mostly, men were expected to want sex and women were expected to want affection. If I told someone I just wanted a cuddle buddy, it was likely that he or she would just consider me less of a man. So I just kept it to myself until I had a romantic partner, and then she just thought I was good at foreplay. I'm glad this site exists, but my impression is that most people believe that cuddling is about women getting money from lonely men without being subject to violation of law.
I tell anybody who will listen. Never had a properly bad reaction. The most common one is "That's brilliant, I'm so happy that exists, but it's not for me."
My elderly, lifelong confirmed Christian, mum once caught me in bed with a cuddle buddy. She laughed.
Yes, this topic has come up before but not for a while I think. If you want to find the thread(s) try both the forum search function and also google, using site:www.cuddlecomfort.com/forum at the end of your search terms.
I was brought up in the Highlands of Scotland. The system there was very simple. If you are ashamed of doing a Thing, don't do it. If you're not ashamed of it, then you can look anyone in the eye and tell them you do it.
One of the things I have learnt on this website is that there is a very large proportion of Americans who are not only truly frightened of 'what the neighbours think', but also have an unshakeable determination to let the fear win. This, again, is contrary to my upbringing where being afraid of something is a reason for doing it, not a reason for not doing it. (This was societal, not specific to my family.) If the Thing is dangerous, well then by all means don't do it if it's not worth the risk: but don't do it because it's dangerous, not because you are a coward.
No. I told one of my best friends months ago and her immediate reaction was to tell me to get off of here because the site was likely a cover for sex work. I don't need that noise and I figure it's no one else's business anyway.
I've not told anyone. I might have mentioned once or twice I've been going to specific therapy sessions but that's it.
As soon as I mention that I'm a Pro Cuddler, the immediate reply is always, "Wait, what?" Followed by a bunch of questions, lol. The response is always positive.
Most people in the world cuddle, its just that most aren’t part of a cuddling community… and no I don’t bring it up, but I’m not trying to hide it either.
If I told somebody that I see pro cuddlers, their first thought might be "prostitution", so I keep it to myself.
I'm very open about my profession, and everything in my life in general. I don't fear judgment. People will judge you for literally anything if that's the type of person they are.
"Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."
If someone were to judge me for it, I wouldn't want to associate with them anyway. 🙃 I know not everyone can be that open, though. I feel very blessed that I have that freedom.
I keep it to myself because I know how people all of a sudden people treat you differently. I worked as a go go dancer and rarely told anyone,but those that knew definitely would treat you differently. They would say that they don't, but you definitely would feel it. I also worked as a pharmacy technician at the same time that I was dancing and my co-workers would literally talk trash about those types of people and say they would never do that. 😂😂 I would say me neither and just giggle to myself. I am a super non- judgmental person. I feel like meeting people from different walks of life helps you to be that way.
Since my mother is basically my safety call, due to my son making his appearance at her house whenever I can arrange cuddling with someone. Her reaction when I told her about joining CC to platonically cuddle with others was your typical maternal reaction. 😊🙄
At the end of her maternal rant, she basically said "be careful of the weirdos". Lol! 😄
My response to her was:
"Mama, I am more of a weirdo than most, but I totally understand and I shall be careful."
And that was the end of that discussion. 😁
My close friends know. I even have it on my OkCupid profile. I had one woman that said this was the first time she ever saw something like that. I was willing to guest at her place. She felt uncomfortable because she said I was too far away from her, and she would never reciprocate and felt bad.
I discuss it with anyone -- even my Uber driver LOL. Normalizing it in conversation is something I strive for.
All of my partners are on board with my cuddle life and so is my family and friends. 💗
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@MissAdventurous
Normalizing it in conversation is something I strive for.
Seconded!
@CuddleDuncan I like that train of thought.
Nope. I mentioned this to one of my long term penpal and he stopped writing. I believe even if some people may not give any visible or verbal reactions, it’s very likely that they will talk behind your back and will end up being the talk of the town.
With nearly everyone in agreement that humans are social beings, it's a shame that there's a social stigma associated with seeking affection through cuddling. (If in fact there is one.)
I've told people I cuddle; I don't care who knows about it.
I don't think anyone should let themselves be affected by this clearly flawed social stigma, but that's just me.
@TxTom - Telling people you cuddle is one thing. Telling people you pay to cuddle sends you onto an entirely different planet.
@Mike403 Is it because cuddling as a form of self-therapy is weird, or just because they've just never heard of it?
People pay for all kinds of self-help.
Thirded!
@TxTom - You're paying to touch somebody. No matter how platonic and non-sexual it is, people who don't understand the profession look at it as a form of sex work unfortunately.
I've got an entire thread about professional cuddling becoming a more socially acceptable activity.
https://www.cuddlecomfort.com/forum/discussion/17343/do-you-think-professional-cuddling-will-become-a-widely-socially-acceptable-activity#latest
@Mike403 Perhaps we shouldn't base our actions on other people's misconceptions.
@TxTom - My dad was irritated that I paid a $30 co-pay to talk to a therapist. I'm not about to tell him that I paid over $100 for a cuddle.
@Mike403 thanks for sharing that thread, and some good insights. To the points that some have made about "who cares what others think" and "you'll find who your true friends are"... For some of us that don't have a deep bench of friends, perhaps because of going through life challenges, we may not have the luxury of alienating the ones we have. So we just have to strive for deeper connections within the cuddle community... Even if it includes a transactional component.
@Mike403 Sometimes, yes, a discussion on certain things cannot be had with everyone, especially parents.