This question randomly popped into my head some time ago. I haven’t really found anything on Wikipedia relating to masochism outside of sex, but since sadism can be non-sexual, why could masochism be too?

  • hungryphrogOP
    4·
    4 days ago

    Isn’t that more like a ritual? I mean, I don’t think those people really enjoy the pain itself.

    • dandelionEnglish
      6·
      3 days ago

      CW: self-harm

      I enjoyed self-harming and feeling pain when I was dissociating a lot, I think there are clearly examples where people inflict pain on themselves for non-sexual and non-religious (i.e. not for punitive / atoning) reasons. Besides some kinds of self-harm, eating spicy food seems like a clear example of this. Pain releases endorphins, you can get high on pain. For what it’s worth, I also have enjoyed every physical trauma I have experienced (being hit by a car, being thrown over the handlebars of my bicycle at speed and my face hitting the asphalt first, etc.).

    • essell@lemmy.world
      2·
      3 days ago

      If they’re enjoying the ritual, is that a meaningful distinction between that and enjoying the pain? 🤔