We can all be masochists: Why we seek experiences that connect pleasure with pain
Benign masochism refers to the phenomenon of enjoying initially negative experiences that do not cause actual harm
What comes to mind when you imagine a masochist? American writer Leigh Cowart suggests that it could be someone who breathes through a hole in a latex suit. Or a person who works too hard, who obsessively bites their cuticles or who dances ballet until their feet are numbed with bruises. A masochist, Cowart says, could be a fan of tattoos or hot sauces, or an ultra-marathoner who signs up for a race with no finish line. “Do you see a pattern among all of them?” the journalist asks in her book Hurts So Good: The Science and Culture of Pain on Purpose. And a few lines later, she answers: “These people choose pain on purpose.”
