Sexual perversion

Pain is mysterious stuff, and everyone reacts to it. If five people get more or less the same thump on the heel from the same over-wound automatic door closer, one will glance behind himself, and go on to his next appointment: another will wince, shrug, and limp a bit; another will need pain relief medication; another will take the day off from the office; and another will sue for millions (or threaten to do so), limping and complaining and even actually aching for days. If the same five people see someone else in pain, their reactions might range from smothering sympathy to the genuine belief that the only way to get over the pain is to ignore it, and get on with what you were doing. What is intolerable pain to one person is cozy welcome midnight reminder of a hard-played afternoon football game to another. And yet, presented with the idea that there are people who seek pain, who get high on pain, and who get hard or wet from pain, even the look-a’-my-bruises football player will usually react with disgust. In fact, if athletes could think of SM as sports they'd always know who was winning. If executives who are willing to stare at columns of tiny numerals till their heads are about to burst and their eyes are watering could think of SM as business, they'd understand the acceptance of pain, but they'd always know who was profiting from whom.