Reddit Thread

[a7hgsir4h3jk]

So, I was browsing AskReddit the other day and one of the top posts was, "what is the worst physical sensation that is entirely painless?" I was kind of expecting tickling to come up and, sure enough, it did. Most of the comments were pretty funny, but this one really stuck out:

Tickling is bar far one of the most evil acts you can perform on a person. It takes away their autonomy, feels absolutely horrid, and forces you to present as though you enjoy it. Psychologically terrifying and damaging. I will seriously punch anyone who tickles me if they continue past my immediate warning.

There were a couple of people who said this was a slight overreaction, but they were downvoted into oblivion. I knew that a lot of people dislike being tickled, which is perfectly understandable, but I didn't realise some people hated it THAT much. I know I shouldn't, but I feel kind of evil for being into it.

Still, it's always interesting to read what "vanillas" think about tickling.

 

[robmic]

Probably has something to do with how they were tormented during their younger years. If they were subjected to vicious attacks with no mercy, I can understand why they feel the way they do. Doesn't make it any easier to swallow. I'm sure most here wish that everyone got some level of enjoyment from being tickled.

 

[bestmed]

I'm a ler not a lee and yes if you try to tickle me what I will do to you will NOT ticlke. but that's also why I would never tickle someone who clearly did not want it.

 

[milagros317]

Some people do feel that way, but, fortunately, some of us enjoy being tickled.

 

[robbyman105]

Also it's Reddit, the place where rational conversations so rarely happen. I quite liked the thread in general, if you ignore those with zero-tolerance for tickling. Some people think only in absolutes ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Backstep]

Isn't Reddit stuffed with anti-authoritarian 16-24 year old misogynist twats? I doubt they're a representative sample of the population...

 

[chicago]

I dunno how many people feel that way about tickling, but I know many hate it, outside of our community. Always gotta be careful of crossing that line with someone. Never know how one might react.

 

[Coda]

While that person clearly dislikes it, that's actually a really accurate phrasing of why it originally fascinated me so much. Now that I'm thinking about those very characteristics as something that might repel some people, I realize there are some things that fascinate me, but also really make me feel rather terrified and I've never linked to erotic feelings. That's actually quite helpful to think about for the purpose of imagining others' perspectives.

 

[BigApple3am]

Isn't Reddit stuffed with anti-authoritarian 16-24 year old misogynist twats? I doubt they're a representative sample of the population...

what would that have to do with their opinions on tickling?

 

[Aeveirra]

Awww No!! You should not at all feel evil for doing it!!
Tickling is the BEST form of physical sensation that exists!
I may be a tad bias because I happen to have major tickling fetish - and I become veryyyy aroused when it's done to me 😉
But it feels so nice! <3 I can't fathom how anyone could dislike it. So I would have to argue that for the vast majority of people who are not knismolagniacs, this magnitude of hatred is preternatural.

 

[Hemmen]

what would that have to do with their opinions on tickling?

Did you read the second sentence in that post?

 

[teamtickleguy]

Many people definitely do hate being tickled and that statement you quoted does actually describe being tickled fairly accurately and raises valid points about the way that it could make someone feel, but it also does seem to be rather over the top.....

It reads like it's been posted by a strong-minded individual who wants to create an ultimate definition of tickling based on their own experience of it, with no concept of, or willingness to accept, how something that they experienced in a negative way could possibly be something other people might experience in a positive way.

'Feels absolutely horrid' is a statement that many people outside the tickling community would disagree with and many would never consider their experiences of being tickled as 'Psychologically damaging'.

But the statements "..takes away their autonomy..." and "...forces you to present as though you enjoy it..." are both accurate and are things all ticklers should be aware of. It can also be "...terrifying...", but then so can rollercoasters and first dates for example.

I think the point at which the line is crossed between the two sets of above comments largely depends on the situation/scenario, the relationship with the tickler and the way the tickler reacts to the ticklee's reactions once tickling has commenced. If things spiral out of control, that's perhaps when the situation can become damaging to the lee.
I think the majority of people in and outside the community would recognise this, therefore the opinion expressed is hopefully only felt by an unfortunate minority.
Therefore none of us should feel evil or guilty for being in to tickling as we recognise the pleasure that can be had and shared from it.

Interesting though that Reddit stuff - I've not really come across Reddit before.

In answer to the question....I would say for me the worst physical, yet painless sensation is the feeling I get when I've cut my fingernails too short and the skin under where the nail would normally be touches something (like turning the pages of a book) and it just feels and sounds awful...kinda like the nails on the blackboard thing - sends shivers right through me and I have to rapidly flex my fingers to get rid of it!

 

[chicago]

I think it's safe to assume we have a bias on the subject as a community and always best to proceed with caution when trying to tickle a vanilla person.

 

[tklsurprise]

For most people tickling is fun but a lot of situations occur when it may be inappropriate, its alway humiliating for the lee and if things get too intense it may go from fun to anger, it needs to be pitched just right. New friends or vanillas are a different thing all together and the ler needs to proceed with caution.What is ok in the home or club might not be the same in public even when a person like to be tickled.
People who hate it may not like to engage in other pastimes invoving contact of a intermate nature, its never certain whats happened to people in the past.

 

[TKLVR18]

Shouldn't make you feel bad for liking it. If all you ever do is tickling stuff with a) consenting adults who know and like it or b) as playful, brief attacks that can get mildly annoying but not unpleasant, you're fine. The majority of people are probably pretty meh to tickling--the small percentage of people who hate and fear it shouldn't put you off tickling in general, just tickling them.

~K

 

[AstoundingFeats]

I take comfort in the notion that it's already a built-in component of play between most physical romantic/sexual relationships, where you are learning someone's body and how to touch them, and where, and how they react to things. I kind of feel sorry for people who hate it so much. Like...dude...they are missing out for serious.

 

[SirenSimone]

Enh, I think that yea, the demographic of Reddit is a shade skewed toward the 22 year old male. I say, ask the other subreddits for people over thirty or people from the bdsm subs and there would be different reaction. I'd even say people in the more artistic communities would also yield a different answer.

 

[a7hgsir4h3jk]

Some very good responses so far. I'm too tired to respond to every individual post right now, but I appreciate every one. 🙂

 

[P[a]pi]

If there's a thing, you can find people who hate it.. A LOT.

 

[Ticklerguy4u]

I knew a person that hate being tickled even though she was ticklish. She admitted that its more of along the lines the feeling of vulnerability and helplessness that turned her off about it. It wasn't really painful just very very very uncomfortable for herself and her skin.