"Born with a tickling fetish" I think is bogus

[LD_Tickler]

I've always had real difficulty believing that anyone was born with a tickling fetish. Especially since most people I've seen make that claim tend to use the argument "I can't remember not liking it, so I must have been born with it."

Right. OR, you had experiences with tickling at a very young age - to which you subconsciously assigned "meaning X" (power, loss of control, whatever), then once puberty came, "meaning X" became eroticized for whatever reason, and tickling along with it.

For example, I find sadism and objectification erotic, and my most vivid experiences with tickling allowed me to associate it with objectification and cruelty. So when my sadistic sexuality developed, tickling was a big feature. Was I born finding sadism erotic? Why on earth would I believe that, since it's abundantly clear how that kind of thing can develop through experience?

Which experiences we find enjoyable in whatever form seem to be far better explained through our development. Positive and negative associations. Experiences interpreted in particular ways. The fact that we can't remember every milestone, and aren't aware of every change in our psyche, isn't proof that there's such a thing as being "hardwired" deviant.

Thoughts?

 

[meangry]

The first female icon I had an attachment to was April O'Neal, and the first bit of real skin they showed of her was her feet. It was in the act of tickling her.

Yeah. That's what wired me to it. I am sure of it.

Wasn't born with it though, like you stated. I think it is easy to assume that we are not innately born with anything.

 

[Cavum]

I agree on that one. A fetish is something that get develop during early childhood. And since having memories from early childhood is not normal you don't know where it started.

 

[luvgirlsfeet]

i honestly think i was born with it because i remember liking tickling and being tickled since the age of 5

 

[tklee88]

I've always had real difficulty believing that anyone was born with a tickling fetish. Especially since most people I've seen make that claim tend to use the argument "I can't remember not liking it, so I must have been born with it."

Right. OR, you had experiences with tickling at a very young age - to which you subconsciously assigned "meaning X" (power, loss of control, whatever), then once puberty came, "meaning X" became eroticized for whatever reason, and tickling along with it.

For example, I find sadism and objectification erotic, and my most vivid experiences with tickling allowed me to associate it with objectification and cruelty. So when my sadistic sexuality developed, tickling was a big feature. Was I born finding sadism erotic? Why on earth would I believe that, since it's abundantly clear how that kind of thing can develop through experience?

Which experiences we find enjoyable in whatever form seem to be far better explained through our development. Positive and negative associations. Experiences interpreted in particular ways. The fact that we can't remember every milestone, and aren't aware of every change in our psyche, isn't proof that there's such a thing as being "hardwired" deviant.

Thoughts?

Interesting view. I never believed I was born with it. I had experiences with it as a child that actually turned me from liking it in the "lee" sense. It wasn't until LATE in my teenage years that I discovered I was actually IN to it. The interest started to grow though I would say as early as 5. I always had a connection to tickling, whether the feeling was nice or not was one thing, but it was in the back of my mind. I think you're right with this, though. Its just that we make the connection to it over time, some of us very early, some of us (in my case) much later.

 

[texastickler]

All I can say to this is, as long as I can remember i have loved it. I loved seeing others tickled as well as I did getting it. I craved it and instigated it. It was not a sensual turn on at age 4 or anything but I can say with no hesitation it was a passion. I guess that makes me an odd duck.

 

[rhiannon]

I did start to masturbate in a really young age, and when I did, I used to think about tickling. It turned me on when I was about 4 already, before I knew about sex or anything. But I didn't like to be tickled or tickle, I liked to watch it. If it developed or if I was born with it I can't tell. But I do think that sexuality is something you are born with, so why wouldn't you be born with a kink?

 

[-Hari-]

Everyone is born with theyre own individual preferences, at a young age many of those dont come to light.

Some people hate cheese, some people adore it, and your born with that like/dislike, Tickling is also something that a person either enjoys or doesnt enjoy, like cheese, some people end up finding sexual gratification from eating cheese off people, and some people from tickling eachother, I dont think this is something that develops from other past experiences at a younger age etc, I think that sometimes it really is just the way a person is going to turn out.

Tickling didnt happen any extra amount to me when I was younger, no more than anyone else, but from as far back as I can remember, I felt uncomfortable being tickled, there was something thing about it that I couldnt quite put my finger on and that scared me.

Then I slowly began to realize is was because I liked it, and that realization became stronger and stronger as I investigated it further.

It was there from the start.

I just think its in the genes somewhere for some people, theres a little gene that says "tickling turns you on" and once your old enuf to understand that, you know you have a fetish.

 

[iluvticklinfeet]

According to psychology, a fetish is classified as a mental disorder (yeah i know,we must all be crazies, bear with me)


Mental disorders can be inherited and acquired. So technically you can be born with a tickling fetish OR acquire one along the road somewhere.

 

[CrystalLight]

Saying "hardwired" is a lot easier then explaining how elements were implemented during my child-hood. So, I will continue to state "born with it" or "hard-wired" it saves time and creep-o's who enjoy wanking to explanations of a TK fetish growing within a pre-pubescent girl.

 

[iluvticklinfeet]

Saying "hardwired" is a lot easier then explaining how elements were implemented during my child-hood. So, I will continue to state "born with it" or "hard-wired" it saves time and creep-o's who enjoy wanking to explanations of a TK fetish growing within a pre-pubescent girl.

If this was facebook, I would be clicking the "Like" button =)

 

[Angel77]

Great thread, makes ya think. For me though, I've always claimed that I was "born with it" as well. I do think that we are wired a certain way and some of us are more inclined to have certain fetishes over others. I know both my sister and I were tickled as kids and I have the fetish, she does not, she HATES to be tickled. A lot of people were tickled as kids and not all of them develop a fetish for it. Maybe it's like being gay.....that you're born this way? Who knows?

 

[Black Hat]

Saying "hardwired" is a lot easier then explaining how elements were implemented during my child-hood. So, I will continue to state "born with it" or "hard-wired" it saves time and creep-o's who enjoy wanking to explanations of a TK fetish growing within a pre-pubescent girl.

*Like*

 

[StevePerry4Ever]

All I know, is that the first time I saw tickling, (April O'Neil) I knew i liked it. I liked in a sexual way even at three years old, i didn't really know what a "sexual way" was, but I knew that it made my "penis feel good" which had never happened before. And thus I discovered masturbation at 3.

 

[Artoo]

Everyone is born with theyre own individual preferences, at a young age many of those dont come to light.

Some people hate cheese, some people adore it, and your born with that like/dislike, Tickling is also something that a person either enjoys or doesnt enjoy, like cheese, some people end up finding sexual gratification from eating cheese off people, and some people from tickling eachother, I dont think this is something that develops from other past experiences at a younger age etc, I think that sometimes it really is just the way a person is going to turn out.

Tickling didnt happen any extra amount to me when I was younger, no more than anyone else, but from as far back as I can remember, I felt uncomfortable being tickled, there was something thing about it that I couldnt quite put my finger on and that scared me.

Then I slowly began to realize is was because I liked it, and that realization became stronger and stronger as I investigated it further.

It was there from the start.

I just think its in the genes somewhere for some people, theres a little gene that says "tickling turns you on" and once your old enuf to understand that, you know you have a fetish.

I disagree. I loved Marmite when I was a kid, and then had a really bad experience with it (I bit into a cheese and "Marmite" sandwich, which was actually cheese and Branston Pickle). The shock of this turned me of marmite for years, until I eventually got over myself.

But here's the rub; nobody is born with a predisposition towards marmite. You can teach yourself to like or dislike different types of food, especially at a young age.

I appreciate the Marmite analogy doesn't transfer to tickling so well, but I do think there is a lot more to it than genes.
Plus, I have a stupidly good memory for things I did/dreamed as a very small child (my first vivid memory that I can still remember was when I was 6 months old), and I do remember a time when it (tickling) didn't give me a weird feeling in the pit of my belly. Course, that changed by the age of 3 or 4.

 

[rhiannon]

Of course bad and good experiences can change your attitude towards thing, sometimes taste just changes on its own, too (I used to hate Brussels Sprouts, now I love them), but a lot is also genetic.

I saw a documentation about twins who were seperated right after birth and now met again. They were sent to a clothes store one after the other, and they chose the same clothes!

 

[Artoo]

People throw the word "genetic" around a lot. We're only scratching the surface of the "information" (and I hesitate to call it that) we carry within our genes. But I think that our sexuality is not genetic for two main reasons.

Number one - We don't tend to have the same kinks as our parents/offspring (thank the gods for that, eh? ) Straight people give birth to gay people, crossdressers father sadists, etc etc. It's a strong argument for kink not being genetic.

Number 2 - Sexuality is intertwined with social behaviour; this much is obvious, because functioning members of society do not go around raping random strangers. We socialise, we flirt, we shag. Not necessarily in that order, but those three are usually in there somewhere. And, in general, the way we interact with others socially is imprinted on us, not from within (our genes) but without (the way we were raised, the culture we were brought up in etc). I posit therefore that our social upbringing has more say on our sexuality than our genes do.

I'm not saying that genes don't give one a predisposition towards liking something. For example, many people like to tickle/be tickled, and I might consider placing that predisposition towards ones genes. But it's only sexual for some of us - and that, I believe, is not to do with genes at all.

 

[rhiannon]

Number one - We don't tend to have the same kinks as our parents/offspring (thank the gods for that, eh? ) Straight people give birth to gay people, crossdressers father sadists, etc etc. It's a strong argument for kink not being genetic.

How do you know we don't have the same kinks as our parents? Plus, you don't know what combination of which genes results in what kink! I would say that sexuality is not as easy as skin-, hair- or eye-color.

 

[Artoo]

How do you know we don't have the same kinks as our parents?

Do you?

 

[rhiannon]

I don't know a whole lot about the sex life of my parents. My father used to try to tickle my mother frequently, all I know he could have the same fetish as I do!

 

[LD_Tickler]

Of course bad and good experiences can change your attitude towards thing, sometimes taste just changes on its own, too (I used to hate Brussels Sprouts, now I love them), but a lot is also genetic.

But the point is, if we accept that experiences can have profound and very real change on things like taste, we should be willing to believe that they're the primary determinant of things like preferences.

Our genes cannot possibly dictate something like "you will like tickling" because tickling is a purely behavioural thing. Your chemicals don't know what it is. No part of your body is aware of tickling before it happens to you. There is no "tickle fetish" gene.

Now, some people may be born more sensitive to touch, for example, which can influence how they interpret being tickled. Still, it would be less important than whatever experiential data the psyche absorbs. Besides, if things like touch sensitivity explained tickling fetishes, what about lers?

i honestly think i was born with it because i remember liking tickling and being tickled since the age of 5

As I mentioned in the original post, this is exactly the kind of argument I find completely insufficient.

 

[rhiannon]

Our genes cannot possibly dictate something like "you will like tickling" because tickling is a purely behavioural thing. Your chemicals don't know what it is. No part of your body is aware of tickling before it happens to you. There is no "tickle fetish" gene.

Your chemicals also don't know what sex is. Still, you are born with your sexuality, and you could be born, programmed with what you will sexually react to! I highly doubt that something happened to me while I was a baby that didn't happen to all the other babies around me. Still it's only ME who has the fetish. So what can be different with me?

I was turned on by seeing people getting tickled, not getting tickled myself. Everybody sees that happen. Why does it turn ME on, not the others? Although all that happenes was that I saw it, just like everybody else?

 

[Mister Scruff]

Some people hate cheese, some people adore it, and your born with that like/dislike,

I used to hate bananas. With a passion. The smell alone was enough to make me baulk. Now I eat at least 2 a day because I think they're yummy.


Nothing's impossible, but when you have various authorities on psychology and psychiatry telling you that studies show paraphilias are nurtured rather than natured it becomes difficult to accept assertions from people whose only evidence is subjective observation.

 

[LD_Tickler]

Your chemicals also don't know what sex is. Still, you are born with your sexuality, and you could be born, programmed with what you will sexually react to! I highly doubt that something happened to me while I was a baby that didn't happen to all the other babies around me. Still it's only ME who has the fetish. So what can be different with me?

Your chemicals know to reproduce themselves, and so we're born with a sex drive - the potential to be aroused by things. My issue is with the assumption that we're born with a particular sex drive with its own shape and colour (kinks, preferences, etc). I think those are details, experiential in nature, which could never be stored in genetics.

 

[Deusxlionxx]

Which experiences we find enjoyable in whatever form seem to be far better explained through our development. Positive and negative associations. Experiences interpreted in particular ways. The fact that we can't remember every milestone, and aren't aware of every change in our psyche, isn't proof that there's such a thing as being "hardwired" deviant.

Thoughts?

Look into Sigmund Freud, and his essays on sexuality.