Question6.com: We, The People are NOT HAPPY
17 - Sadomasochism
We may not like it, but we have to admit that sadomasochism is part of human nature.
It is a motivation buried deep in the subconscious, waiting for opportunities to manifest itself. We see it in so many aspects of our lives that we consider it to be normal. It is part of human nature. It can be found at all levels, from our street signs to our governments.
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Do we need the North Pole to park a car? Instead of “No parking north of here,” a sign could simply say, “No parking on this side.”
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What motivates you to take a chance with your life on the freeway, saving a few seconds when you have nothing urgent to do?
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Casinos are based on Sadomasochism. The casinos calculated the probability of winning at many different games. The more you play, the closer you will get to those mathematical probabilities, and they are not in your favor. The gambler would instead focus on feelings. When he loses, he is a failure and should be ashamed. When he wins, he dominates everybody. He is the king, and everybody must pay him. In gambling, the sadomasochism overcomes any rational thinking.
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We use laws to impose our opinion on others. Sadomasochism starts when we are making laws that are not necessary. We justify our actions by saying, “It is for their own good.” We pretend that other people cannot be happy unless they believe in our own god and follow our own religion and our own way of relating to one another. The truth is that some sadism in us is out of control. Even an idea such as “Love your neighbor” mixed with human nature can become a burst of sadomasochism like The Inquisition.
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Consider the thousands of wars that have occurred throughout our history. Wars are an opportunity to suffer and inflict suffering on others. We know that they are not the best way to solve conflicts, but we keep the practice.
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Think of the many ways people in the Middle Ages invented to make others suffer as much as possible for as long as possible: Boiling people in hot water, wrenching their tongue, burning their eyes with hot iron – letting them be eaten by rats in the dungeons… A popular divertissement was watching them burning at the stake. What do you think was the motivation behind this carnage? Could it be sadomasochism?
What we call ‘geopolitics’ is sadomasochism at the government’s level. In a more civilized society, when there is a conflict, all the politicians responsible for the fighting would be accused of war crimes. They would be sent to The Hague. The judge would decide who could return home and who would go to the battlefield to clear the mines
When grown-ups do not have enough stress in their life, they create some. It gives them the illusion of progress. They are pushing the envelope! They are fighting destiny… or something like that.
To satisfy this need, we have utilized various means, including religions, governments, social conventions, and any resources within our reach. Religious beliefs that cannot be proved or disproved make a perfect excuse. You satisfy your sadomasochism and say: “God made me do it”.
We imprison those who don’t follow the prevailing way of thinking. We use (our) morality and pretend that it is for the public good. This is sadism.
Sadomasochism is part of human nature.
We indeed made some progress. We don’t torture as much as we used to. We no longer burn people at the stake. We still have Female Genital Mutilation and torture in the jails. We still have a long way to go, but our need for sadomasochism may not be as intense as it was a few centuries ago. We may have inherited the tormenting genes of our ancestors, but we are gaining control over them.
It seems that some countries are more prone to sadomasochism than others. Every detail of everyday life can become an opportunity to make rules and those who do not follow them get chastised.
It can become tragic when sadomasochism makes people join a group and create an association to commit mass suicide.
It would be interesting to investigate if sadomasochism did not play a role - unconsciously -when millions of people blindly followed a leader to their demise.
Everybody is entitled to his own opinion, but you are not entitled to impose your opinion on others. This is stealing other people’s freedom. This is sadism.
Let’s try some empathy.
Pain and pleasure are processed in the same part of the brain, known as the nucleus accumbens. It releases dopamine when we experience pleasure. It is the same part of the brain that gets activated when we experience pain.
Is there a need for sadomasochism in human life?
- Our ancestors did not master the use of fire without getting some blisters. That was only the beginning. They found that there is a price to pay for everything. No pain - No gain!
- Life in society would not be possible without some rules. Sadomasochism starts with rules that are not necessary. “Use but don’t abuse” is a law of nature that must be respected.
- Some people need BDSM.
- We live in a world dominated by money, wars, oppression, crimes, geopolitics, fanatism…
Look at them as a compost that we recycle. Use them as the flower uses dirt.
Even the most beautiful flower needs manure.
We could even be proud, sometimes, of our sadomasochism. The souls you see on Earth want to accelerate their evolution. They want to detach themselves from the material world. They know that it will not be easy and accept the challenge. They are willing to pay the price. Shouldn’t we be proud of them?
-The sadomasochists are suffering from “restrictions” and ”fear”. Could the same problems exist in each of us at a lower degree? Let’s look inside us for some restrictions. We build everything using straight lines. Our houses are made of cubes. Nature does not use circles and straight lines. Flowers do not grow as TV antennas. Our way of thinking may be limited without us being conscious of it.
Are we also suffering from fear? We need to join a group. We need to live in society. We are afraid of solitude. Imagine an astronaut accidentally getting disconnected from his spaceship. He is alone in the universe. This is a basic fear that can be buried deep in all of us.
