Sadomasochism is a result of authoritarian social systems; equal human rights will eliminate it.
Sadomasochism is the giving and receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receiving and giving of pain or humiliation. The words "sadism" and "masochism" were initially derived in the 19th Century from the names of two authors. The term "sadism" originates from the name of the Marquis de Sade, the French writer who practiced giving pain and wrote novels about it. "Masochism" is named after Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, the Austrian writer who wrote novels expressing his fantasies of receiving pain.
"Sadism" and "masochism" were introduced to the medical terminology as illnesses in 1890 by the German psychiatrist Richard von Krafft-Ebing in his book "New research in the area of Psychopathology of Sex." In the 20th Century, many psychologists, psychiatrists, and philosophers wrote about sadism and masochism. Among them were Sigmund Freud, Havelock Ellis, Gilles Deleuze, Jean-Paul Sartre, and René Girard. According to these scientists, there are many reasons why sadists and masochists find their practice enjoyable.
Jean-Paul Sartre argued that masochism attempts to reduce oneself to nothing, while sadism is the effort to conquer the victim's subjectivity. Sigmund Freud described sadism and masochism as abnormal psychological development from early childhood. He noted that both phenomena were often found in the same individuals and combined the two into a single dichotomous entity known as "sadomasochism." Scientists gave different interpretations of sadism and masochism. Still, they agreed that sadists and masochists, joined together, bring pleasure in giving and receiving pain as a form of sexual satisfaction. However, they failed to define the origin of sadomasochism and then, of course, could not find the prevention or cure for it.
Recent researchers have found an easy way out of the problem by suggesting that sadomasochism is merely a sexual interest, not a pathological symptom or a sexual problem. People with sadomasochistic sexual interests are generally neither damaged nor dangerous. The American Psychiatric Association's current DSM-5 excludes consensual sadomasochism from diagnosing illnesses when sexual interests cause no harm or distress. On June 18, 2018, the World Health Organization removed sadomasochism from psychiatric diagnoses in the International Classification of Diseases – ICD-11.
The pathology of enjoyment in pain has become the norm. It has never happened in nature, but only in human society. So why do we accept abnormal behaviour as normal? Because we live in an abnormal authoritarian society, authorities want us to consider it normal.
***
My research on sadomasochism is based on the analysis of available data. It led me to conclude that the same social conditions that cause social and psychological problems also cause sadomasochism. I have spent decades researching the causes of social and psychological issues, which should make me capable of talking about sadomasochism. This article explores the origins of sadomasochism, its prevention, and potential cures.
The origins of sadism and masochism are embedded in social relations. They result from the tension of living in authoritarian societies that prevent people from living naturally. When children like to play outside but cannot because they are forced to spend a long time in school, this is the starting point of sadomasochism. When adults want to enjoy their lives but cannot because they have to obey the rules that authorities have created, this creates sadomasochism. The more people follow authorities against their nature, the more they develop sadomasochism.
A natural reaction to the oppression of authorities is resistance. Those who resist the authorities and manage to release themselves from authoritarian tyranny would most likely have relaxed, productive lives free of tension. This is the best way to avoid sadomasochism. However, authorities may have been too strong, feared, or respected, so people could never escape their oppression completely. Therefore, we all possess some tension from the abuse of authorities, and consequently, we all carry some level of sadomasochism. People who follow authorities often try to suppress their anxiety by intensifying self-control. However, this worsens the problem because self-discipline represses an individual's nature and increases tension. This explains why strongly disciplined and successful people are more prone to becoming sadists and masochists.
People cannot endure the tension of living in an authoritarian society endlessly, so their bodies find an escape from the anxiety in the perversion of emotions and senses. These perversions are the origin that produces sadism and masochism. The strong tension of sadists perverts their emotions intensely, and then they enjoy giving pain to other people, becoming sadistic. Lower-level sadists would be satisfied by watching fights in brutal movies, for example. People who live naturally do not enjoy any of it.
Masochists enjoy being obedient to sadists. Scientists offer a spectrum of explanations about the masochist's need to submit to the controlling authorities' power. According to them, authorities give masochists safety and protection from stress, helplessness, fear of life responsibilities, or guilt. In my opinion, the permanent tension under an imposed authoritarian way of living perverts masochists' emotions to find enjoyment in obedience to sadists. However, it explains the origin of emotional perversion, but not its causes. It does not explain the origin of pleasure in pain.
Masochists must enjoy the pain they receive from sadists a lot; otherwise, they would not accept it. Masochists enjoy the pain much more intensively than sadists who deliver the pain. Scientists struggle to understand what causes the enjoyment of pain. They even understand the chemical process in the body which creates pleasure in pain, but they do not know why it happens. My analysis has yielded a fairly convincing conclusion regarding the origin of pain enjoyment. Permanent tension in masochists, besides emotions, perverts their sensations as well. High-level anxiety perverts the nerves of masochists. Then the nerves start producing pleasure in response to pain.
Many people do not know that they may enjoy pain in sexual contact because they have never tried it. Some people who encounter pain in a sexual relationship get released from the tension and enjoy it. Then the pain becomes their need. The more tension they suppress, the more pain they enjoy. Great masochists may feel extreme pain, similar to orgasms. Nothing can bring more intense enjoyment than this, so such people love pain.
All people possess some degree of masochism. A low level of masochism would not make people enjoy pain, but it may bring emotional satisfaction in obedience to authorities. Such individuals would follow authorities uncritically and derive pleasure from doing so. For example, masochism may make people fans of politicians or celebrities. Almost no one is immune. Idolatry puts people on the wrong path, which is another source of masochistic tension and increases the possibility of enjoying pain.
Sadism and masochism come as a result of an unhealthy way of living. Sadists and masochists build a solid mutual dependency, which might look like being in love. However, every relationship based on the control of authority and the servility of subordinate people should be labelled as a perversion of love. Sadists cannot love, and masochists cannot be interested in people who offer love. If a sadist shows weakness towards a masochist, they will instantly lose interest in the sadist. In this case, a masochist can even despise such a person. In the movie "Last Tango in Paris," the masochist kills the sadist when he shows weakness towards her. The screenwriter and director portrayed sadomasochism accurately and realistically. However, sadomasochism could look much worse than the movie presented. Neither sadism nor masochism lets people live normally. They are diseases.
***
Now, what would be the prevention for sadomasochism? The answer lies in everything that opposes what authoritarian social systems establish. The origin of sadomasochism is based on a perverted society, so the healing of sadomasochism must be based on a healthy society. The best result will come from implementing equal human rights.
The essential step in building equal human rights will be equal political power for all. I have called it democratic anarchy. Everyone should have an equal opportunity to evaluate others' actions. A positive assessment should result in small awards for the assessed person, and a negative evaluation will carry minor punishments. Such assessments will guide everyone to respect others, to do everything possible to enhance others' lives, and to refrain from anything that could harm them. Such a life will eliminate the oppression of people, and this will prevent the evolution of sadomasochism.
Equal human rights must also include the right to work. As long as unemployment exists, such a right does not exist. Unemployment will be eliminated by shortening working hours in proportion to the unemployment rate. This would increase demand for workers in the free market, placing them in a more balanced economic position with employers and fostering good capitalism.
The ultimate stage of equal human rights will create equal opportunities for all people to be employed at any public work post at any time. It will be necessary to open a permanent competition for every public work post. Workers who offer the best productivity for desired work posts will have the right to work at any time. It is nothing but a developed work market that will create good socialism. It may sound impossible because such a division of labour has never existed. However, realizing it is just a technical problem that I have pretty much solved in the book Humanism. Besides being the most productive, such an economy will ultimately lead to the full implementation of equal human rights. Full implementation of equal human rights would stop the emergence of sadism and masochism in society.
Ultimately, I owe the answer to how to overcome sadomasochism. The human psyche is not dough that can be easily modified. A sick society's perversion needs time to heal in a healthy society. Once equal human rights are established, they will begin to eliminate sadomasochism and address humankind's social problems.
My article, "Equal Human Rights Will Make People Love Unconditionally," explores how equal human rights can foster unconditional love among people. No one can "escape" loving other people. Equal human rights will bring a wonderful life to all.
