Empathy and sadism

Sadism is a tricky subject because it comes in a large number of different varieties and has been the subject of only a small amount of investigation. This is partly due to the unwillingness to create any kind of pathology that could potentially be used to excused sadistic crimes.

Sexual sadism is relatively common and isn't really pathological in any way. Also a lot of sexual sadists are found to display traits of masochism. It's just a fetish.

Of those where sadism is more of a structural entity, the varieties of sadistic tendencies scale for example, shows that people divide hard into two categories of direct and vicarious between which there is little crossover. For people on the direct side it's all about actually inflicting pain themselves and they rarely show any inclination to do it at one remove. The vicarious sadists, those who watch gore, enjoy violent video games, and generally watching people get hurt rarely ever go in for direct action. They're more self cantered opportunists and lack that tyrannical streak which drives the direct sadists. Needless to say vicarious sadists are about 3 times more common than their direct counterparts.

It's also why it's not usually worth taking anyone getting edgy about gore vids too seriously.

Sadism is relatively common as a trait or comorbidity but realatively rare as an organisational principle.

saucygirl31 wrote:but when it does happen, i do get off on it. and u know i get off on a lot. i love getting off.

Ok, so being high on drugs, getting off and feeling high from hurting someone feels the same?

no drugs are more pure dopamine like with no questions asked. shooting meth is > anything violent i've ever done.

i dont necessarily get high from hurting people its more of just a rush with no legs

I've never got off on hurting anyone. I used to find it funny to humiliate people when I was a kid but that was then.

I don't actually have the emotional intelligence to understand that my actions are hurtful but they are apparently.