Defence of Masochism (book in Czech language)

Anita Phillips: Defence of Masochism

(Volvox Globator 2016, translated by Daniel Micka)

Masochism

Most of the lay public perceive it as a disorder, a deviation and something contemptible. This attitude has arisen primarily due to prejudice and a lack of information. Anyone who wants to find out more will usually come across the most primitive answer, that it is a fondness for suffering and experiencing pain. That is essentially true, but if you only have this stark information available, you have no chance of understanding. And those who do not understand should not judge... Anyone who would like to delve deeper can read articles and discussions on the internet. However, they usually only promote one very narrow view of the matter. And what about sexologists? Even the more liberal ones will always interpret masochism at least partially as a disorder.

To understand the very essence of masochism, you have to look at it from many perspectives, impartially, and distinguish between different forms and degrees. To do this, however, you would need to read many books, meet many people and definitely have some of your own experiences. The author, Anita Phillips, has done all this for you and summarised it in one single book. Please note that this is not a fun read for a Sunday afternoon. All the more, it will open the eyes of everyone who doesn't know much about this topic yet, and it will certainly broaden the horizons of those of you who have real experience with BDSM.

This book dissects masochism into the smallest details and explains it from the perspective of psychology, art, literary works, various social groups, and even religion. It primarily points out that masochism in some form has accompanied humanity since the very beginning of existence, influences our actions, and in some way interferes with the life of each of us.

Intelligent perversion

That's exactly how the author describes masochism right at the beginning of the book. The first chapter then deals with several important names:

• Leopold von Sacher-Masoch - the writer after whom masochism was named.
• Richard von Krafft-Ebing - the psychiatrist who coined the term "masochism" in his book on sexual psychopathology. Masoch himself allegedly disagreed with this name, but he never publicly opposed it because he believed it would soon be forgotten.
• Sigmund Freud - a scientist, neurologist, psychologist who also dealt with masochism in his work.
  

But that's just a small taste. The author gradually analyses the works and ideas of many other authors not only in science and literature, but also in music or film, mentioning feminism, religion, thoughts of death and other topics from antiquity to the present. It shows that masochism is essentially a healthy part of the human psyche, that it does not arise from self-hatred or negative experiences in childhood, that BDSM is nothing like real violence or abuse, and many other insights that, we believe, can break down myths and prejudices.

Excerpt from the book

The masochist manages suffering by accepting it for its beneficial properties. Although suffering is not inherently sexual, and though it is more of an unpleasant experience than a pleasant one, it can turn into extreme pleasure or become a prelude to it, provided we handle it using certain procedures. These require trusting your body, being in touch with the nuances of bodily sensations, and allowing these sensations the freedom to take on different shades.