Are you born with it?

[Sunday_10pm]

Does anyone have any idea how they came to get their fetish? Do you think you are born with it, and then discover it at some point in your life? Or is it born out of an instance/situation where the mind relates or even confuses tickling with sexual feelings. I’m pretty certain I know where I got my fetish, and it's one of my best memories, so i'll tell it out:
The first time I ever had sex with my first girlfriend in her parents' house we were really scared they would hear us and their walls were really thin, so we had to be really quiet. She was making way too much noise, so I put my hand in her mouth for her to bite. It was really funny because even though she was biting me painfully hard, I was still trying to make her squeak. We really didn't want her parents to hear, and my hand was starting to hurt, so I let up a little; She bit me really hard, and actually made me make a noise. I pulled a face as though I was really insulted and shocked and called her "a dirty little animal" as a joke. We were already in a silly mood, and she started laughing - the more I tried to shut her up, the more she laughed. She really had the giggles, and I was really struggling to keep her quiet. I could feel her whole body tensing underneath me as she tried to contain it. Aggghhhh! She was absolutely gorgeous! She had the most beautiful smile and a really sweet, infectious laugh. That was the most brilliant experience of my whole life, by a very long way. I’d felt love before, but it hit me like a sledgehammer right then.
I reckon that is when I acquired my fetish for tickling. Even though I wasn’t actually tickling her, it was just the sight of her laughing hysterically; it just turned me on so much. Since then, I’ve found tickling, and even just the site of a girl laughing really sexual. It's like something just clicked.
So does anyone else think their fetish was born out of a single, really intense experience?

 

[ISUmark]

yah i think its from somethin that happens in childhood or even later, i actually read something interesting about where fetishes came from, and it used a foot fetish as an example. The article said that people may develop a foot fetish because they are neglected a little when they are children, and not held as much, so they are usualyl down around the feet area. For my in particualr, having a foot tickling fetish, i can understand this, because i didnt have a very good mother and my parents ended up gettin divorced when i was 5, and i havent seen her since, so i assume i was neglected and not taken care of very well. I dont see many pictures bein held by my mom either, so maybe there is a stint of truth in that theory.

 

[Knox The Hatter]

It probably triggered off some kind of sexual sensor in the brain when you were very small. I got the living shit tickled out of me by my aunts, my uncles, etc....and I was very self conscious about it. Not surprising that it turned into something like this. I'm sure the same thing happened to my uncle when he was small...man, did he attack ALL of us, in fact, I still remember one episode involving a girl cousin my age, when we were ten, when he gave her an extensive tickling session that left me impressed...As far as the foot fetish goes, I think that for me, it was all interrelated, since my feet were always attacked last and longest. Easily, because the feet are the terminals for all the nerve endings in the body, the sensations might trigger some kind of sexual stimulus in the brain.
No, I don't think you're born with it...

 

[ticklehound]

As far as I know - it's been born into me. For as long as I can remember. In fact, I felt that funny sensation in my throat and chest the very first time I ever saw tickling of any kind - on some kiddie tv show. The sexual thing did not evolve until much later. Maybe it's just me - but I can tickle for either fun or 'pleasure' - if you know what I mean. Make from that what you will.

Hound

 

[AffectionateDan]

Ah, yes, THIS again...

Sorry, Knox, but I'm afraid I have to disagree. I've long maintained that there's a strong genetic (or genetickle, if you will 🙄 ) predisposition towards our favorite "sport", as it were. I've known I loved tickling since my earliest childhood memories, and with the benefit of hindsight, I'm sure my father and brothers were ticklers like me. Plus, I've talked with enough parents here in the Forum that have similar stories of their own children, taking on charcteristics like we do, with absolutely NO exposure to it due to their parent's carefully safeguarding against that very thing, so where else could they be getting it from? Sure, sure, you're a product of your environment, and there are undoubtably those who have "converted" rather than come by it naturally, but I'm tellin' ya, if you look, there's ample evidence to see that a great many of us are going to be 'Lees/'Lers from the moment we're conceived. Whatta ya say, Gang? Any other input here?

 

[Limeoutsider]

I think I was born with it

 

[Sunday_10pm]

From what I’ve read here, it seems as though people who develop the interest in tickling at a very young age can easily become fascinated with it long before they reach puberty. But, I tickle-tortured my fare share of girls as a nipper (I always thought tickling other boys was a bit fruity.). Although it was always really enjoyable, I think all kids find tickle torturing a helpless victim exciting. At that age, I was never drawn to it in the sense that some of you describe.
Maybe I'm a rare case, but I'm positive that my fetish was forged at the moment I described. I think it is still, to this date, the most intense feeling of love I’ve ever experienced. It felt like lightning coursing through my veins (in the words of David Gray). I can almost remember deciding to myself at that moment that there could not possibly be anything better in life.
I'd still be interested to hear from anyone conscious of the origins of their love of tickling.

 

[Dirkman]

I am 100% sure that a person is born with many things going on in their brain that will later be "set off" and develop as their life goes on. Things from sexual preference to whether you will be dislexic to whether you will be likely to get heart disease when you are 70 are all written in your code as soon as your little baby ass sees the light of day.

In our case, we are born with what would be considered a sexual deviance. Our sexual deviance (call it sexual *addition* to make yourself feel better if you like) is attraction to tickling and in many cases, feet. I don't believe the BS that staring at feet from an early infant age has jack shit to do with anything. Most foot-fetishists actually have an attraction to the bottom of feet anyway, not the tops which is what an infant would see on the floor.

I for one remember being very young and looking out for girls feet on TV. This was way before I stroked out my first load, I'm talking like five years old. I also had an attraction to tickling. I would carpool to school in first grade with my chick neighbor of the same age. Her father would sometimes tickle her in the car and I remember thinking that it was the greatest thing ever. No one told me to like it. My brain was programmed to like it already. I bet a few generations down, some male in my family will like the same thing.
Professor Dirk

 

[boy]

I don't know if I was born with it. Maybe it was dormant, I don't know. But I never thought twice about it until I stumbled upon a tickling story on the Usenet back in the day... it was very kinky and rough around the edges, but it featured tickling AND the girl in the story wore socks (I guess that tied it into it) and ever since I read that story... I've been a ticklephile. Hehe.

 

[Jamandi]

For me I can't remember an incident that started my fetish. All I remember is wanting to hold down my girl-friends and tickle their feet and other parts since I was five. I didn't really realize that this was a sexual thing for me until puberty hit in about seventh grade. However I think I did have sexual fantasies about this during the late part of grade school 4th-6th grade. Interesting though, I had no idea that I loved being tickled, and was largely turned on by it until I was 18 thanks to my first love 🙂. One part of this fetish that was talked about in a previous post was being turned on by girls laughing. I always remember trying to make girls laugh when I wasn't tickling them. And even today it gives me a huge warm feeling bordering on a sexual feeling when my comedy gets me a laugh from the fairer sex. What can I say, I'm a sucker for smiles 😀 .

-Jamandi-

 

[milagros317]

If I wasn't born with it, then I must have developed it at a pre-verbal age. My earliest memories, at age four, involve the anticipation of visiting the girl next door (then age five), so that we could tickle each other's feet. 😀

 

[MaxSpeer]

I have always been an advocate of the fact that we are hard-wired with it.

How is it possible that I know a few people that have exactly the same tickling preferences that I have? I mean right down to certain details. We all grew up in different cities and with different parents and different upbringing. None of us can pinpoint a certain trigger in our youth to set off this particular desire.

I remember being prepubescent and seeing tickling on tv and getting very excited and mesmorised. Also, for me, since I don't have a foot fetish, I remember seeing pretty women dressed in sleeveless dresses, raising their arms and getting high from that sight. The funny thing is that the people I know who have the exact same preferences can also trace back similar memories and even tell me childhood fantasies that were exactly like mine.

I truly believe that there is a genetic link and not an experiential link. I have been toying with the idea of writing a memoir of my tickling life. I think it would benefit all of us to write memoirs and compare early thoughts and experiences. I am sure we will see that, for many of us, we were born with This Thing Of Ours.

Max

 

[TklDuo-Ann]

Yep.

I think we're born with it and then the specific direction it takes can be effected by outside influence. I can remember times as young as 3 or 4 when I was tickled and loving every minute of it. In my case, I think that those who tickled me doing so in fun and affection also had a great effect. That's how I've always viewed it...as an expression of platonic affection. It wasn't until my early adult years, that it consciously became something that could be called sexual. Much of tickle play for me is still non-sexual in nature, though.

Ann

 

[arches]

born with it

Born with it definately. Sunday-10pm like to see women laugh just like you. Thats a different fetish form tickling but is linked.

 

[AffectionateDan]

I am sure we will see that, for many of us, we were born with This Thing Of Ours.

Max

Bonasera, we know each other for years, but this is the first time you come to me for help.


La Cosa Nostra Vellicastra? Hee!

 

[Dirkman]

I am sure we will see that, for many of us, we were born with This Thing Of Ours.
Max

I'm glad that this is finally catching on, thats what this is, This Thing of Ours....
Dirkvito

 

[MaxSpeer]

RichardAuc Stated:

I've always believed that the people who claim they were "born to" do anything were in the same class as the people who claim "the devil made me do it." So many people in this world are allergic to responsibility. You can be born ticklish, yes, but the decision of whether you like tickling or being tickled is the same as any other preference--it's a matter of taste.

I respect your opinion but, I feel that this is also the same kind of thinking that a homosexual is born with a choice. I have known many (being in the entertainment industry) that would disagree with that statement. Also, there has been recent studies to show that there is definitely a genetic factor involved. I knew a few people that seemed to exhibit a homosexual personality when they were very young, before they actually became sexual beings.

While some Ticklers & Ticklees may feel uncomfortable with the simile I stated above, it seems logical that we Lees & Lers can also be born with a genetic tendency. I know a small child who, although still very young, spends much of her time drawing pictures of women tied up. I know with absolute certainty that this girl has NOT been exposed to pictures or anything resembling the drawings she does. She is a happy, normal child in every other way.

I remember drawing "fingers" tickling the girls in my coloring book. This was certainly not a choice I made at that very young age. There was no abuse or influence.

Granted, I will accept the fact that choices are made in later life as to whether instincts are acted upon, but I truly believe that our sexual blueprint is created in the genes.

Again, just my 2 cents.

Max

 

[Sunday_10pm]

I don't think it is possible to draw a conclusion. I think you are definitely born with much of your personality already there. But then again it is proven that the way kids are raised has a huge bearing on their personality.
I am in no doubt that I enjoyed tickling before that day, but I am also in no doubt that the experience drastically changed me. I may have been born with it, but repressed my feelings for some reason until then, I don't know. On the other hand, fetishes may be acquired by most people before their earliest memories, whereas in my case, my experience was so intense that I managed to get it a lot later.
I'm not going to say "In my opinion, everyone is/isn't" Nothing pisses me off more than people who start blurting out "tickling is never a sexual thing" when it's obvious that to some people IT IS. I also wholly believe people when they say that just witnessing tickling had a massive effect on them the very first time they saw when they were a tot.
I’m also conscious of the fact that some people on this board merely have an interest in tickling, they prefer to call it a hobby, finding nothing sexual about it at all. I am not one of those people - to me it's the sexiest thing imaginable. I'll never be able to shake it.

 

[Sunday_10pm]

You can be born ticklish, yes, but the decision of whether you like tickling or being tickled is the same as any other preference--it's a matter of taste.

I believe that there are a lot of people here (like Richard) who may feel very strongly about tickling, but to whom it is still just a matter of taste. I think that there are also people (like myself) for whom it isn't. Even if I wasn't born this way, it is now completely embedded in me.
I'll try to give some sort of analogy - Some people are absolutely obsessed with Ferraris. They love everything about all Ferraris. They would choose a world without the love of their life over a world without Ferrari. They are obsessed.
There are many people here who wouldn’t go that far. For me, it runs far deeper than just an interest, even if I were completely obsessed, I still think there would be a difference.
It's like - although I could talk about hundreds of little things I like about tickling, I never started liking it for any of those reasons. Even though I suppose it was like I suddenly decided I loved it, it definately wasn't a conscious decision. It was out of my control.

 

[tickleshotel]

I am not positive that people are born with a tickling gene,but for myself I believe that it revolves around your childhood experiences and if tickling is involved how you react to it..I can remember instances when I was a child when my older brother,sister would both gang up on me,hold me down and tickle me but as of this date I can tell you that both my sister,brother don;t have the same Passion of tickling as I do.So I can only summarize that all those tickling experiences I remember them tickling me was a form of affection from sibling to sibling..So in my mind if tickling was genetic and we were born with it,wouldn;t my sister,brother be just as Passionate about tickling as I am and have been since those early experiences?.Maybe not I think because maybe my sister,brother were tickling me when I was young,but maybe my brother,sister Truly didn;t,wasn;t enjoying themselves as much as I was being tickled.

 

[Sunday_10pm]

You make a valid point about your siblings, and their lack of passion for tickling. There are'nt many straight lines in genetics though - some kids turn out looking/acting exactly like their parents, whereas some bear hardly any resemblance.
And i'm sure they enjoyed it, but it's not really about enjoyment though. All kids enjoy tickling - it's fun! For many of us though, tickling is better than sex, and it seems some people were enjoying it at this level not long after they learnt to walk. That's why we found this forum. I'm in no doubt that most people in the world find tickling fun, but for me, it's slightly more than that.

 

[rajee]

😀 [COLOR=990099] I believe it is mostly genetic with some help from key experiences in one's life. I saw on a documentary about fetishes that the same part of the brain that receives signals about the genitals is also receiving signals about feet. The Psychotherapist states that wiring must be crossed in the brain and the touch, smell, taste and sight of feet sexually stimulates them.
He says oddly enough the foot fetishists do not want to change. They think it is a gift to get and give pleasure to women and their feet.[/COLOR] 😀

 

[R. Davis]

My two cents!

I think maybe we'll are born with the instinct for tickling. Social influences seem to reinforce some of those instincts. I remember when I was 13yrs old and making my first tickling kit; with different feathers and brushes.

 

[Knox The Hatter]

I don't feel as if I stand corrected...enlightened, perhaps. But I still think my theory holds water, to a great degree. You may be predisposed to certain things; homosexuality, etc. But I truly believe that there is something that happens along the way in the formative years- and it could be the most furtive, most innocent thing...which could affect you for the rest of your life. It could also be experiences over an extended period of time. My wife's best friend has a cousin who got involved in a Lesbian relationship when she was in her late teens. When asked why, she said that it was because sex with girls didn't nearly hurt as much as sex with her father, or her older brothers. She wasn't joking, either...she came from a family situation that could make anyone shudder.
My point is, I believe that "nurture" is responsible for quite a bit of what you are. In the end, I'm not sorry for what I am, not at all. If I was strictly a breast man, I would have to hope for an act of God for some woman to bear herself by accident, while walking through a shopping mall...but fate intervened, and three quarters of the girls in the mall are sporting open toed shoes, and I'm walking along, singing to myself, "It's the Most Wonderful Time...of the Year!" 😀

 

[joeshushu]

I think it is heredity. I can remember at a very young age chasing the neighborhood girls trying to tickle their feet. I also remember an instance where one of my babysiters was holding down her boyfriend and tickling the hell out of him. I can remember to this day him screaming he couldn't breathe and the sly grin on her face. She tried to tickle me but I wasn't ticklish. This kind of frustrated her and when she put me to bed, while removing my socks, she tickled my foot and I rewarded her with a little grin. Oh my it's the babysitters fault. It always comes back to those babysiters. She probably was a ticklephilie.