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Sadomasochism
Pt. 3
By Jonatas Dornelles
Anthropologist
The term masochism
roots in the name of Leopold von Sacher Masoch, an Austrian
novelist of the XIX century. His most famous piece, "Venus
in furs", portraits a love affair between a dominant
woman and man by her enslaved. People of both genders
can be masochists.
A masochist is in
general an individual whose personality is characterized
by compulsive anxiety and by self-flagellation. He disdains
himself and own life. Reckons not to deserve anything
besides humiliation. His joy lies in seeing confirmed
such opinion. Perhaps would be easier to understand the
satisfaction experienced by the sadist in punishing someone,
other than comprehend the masochist and his pleasure in
submission. How come could someone enjoy a situation of
inferiority and despair?
In tribes and exotic
cultures, pain and humiliation generally are associated
to rituals of passage, as for example when an individual
reaches adulthood. Nevertheless, in this particular case
pain wouldn't be sought by sheer individual pleasure,
but as goal of surpass and ascension to a new height of
social category.
Guilt and fear seem
as major factors of masochist's leanings. If someone feels
guilty towards sexual desires, will be satisfied
by seeing such fancies humiliated. A masochist sees in
his self-flagellation a much-needed penitence in order
to let himself in for a reward of sexual heightening.
Those who fear their emotions, particularly regarding
sexual desire, are often incapable of acting without
someone's authority emotionally stronger. So, tend to
look for relations in which are dominated.
Sigmund Freud used
to believe that a child who peers over a sexual
intercourse of adults, specially parents, might become
masochist when grown up. She might interpret the sexual
act as an act of violence. Bodily punishments in infancy
are also considered possible causes of a future sadomasochist
behavior.
In societies of which
female passivity is a centurial characteristic, not constitute
surprise a woman's inclination for masochism. The explanation
to such tendency is that girls are less stimulated to
identify themselves with any given activity-a quality
of active. In this kind of society, young girls are obligated
to suppress their ever so growing sexual impulses,
for the duty of initiative is usually attributed to males.
Sadomasochism may
afloat in diverse situations. A sadomasochist may conceal
his tendencies and end up by surprising his wife shortly
after marriage, asking for example, to bb tied up onto
bed. And yet, aren't rare those capable of professing
cruelties with their employees, offspring and even animals
and who, at the same time, wish to be mistreated by the
sexual partner.
There's no reason
to be prejudiced with this kind of sexual impulse.
Although deemed abnormal, those individuals should be
respected, seeing that they depend exclusively on each
free individual's desire. What's more, a spiced up sex
act every now and then wouldn't make any harm. Not a single
woman turns into a masochist only because, sometimes,
enjoys being possessed furiously by her sex partner.
The same applies to this man, who doesn't turn out to
be sadist only by being a little bit more active in the
sexual relation. Or vice-versa.
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