Tickling through the genes?

[tummyticklish01]

I was wondering?
How do we get these tickling fetishes?
Do we get them from our parents, and does that mean our brothers and sisters have tickling fetishes?
Or are the fetishes just odd, random things that pop up?
THis has been on my mind for awhile, and also, if you have children, wil they have tickling fetishes?

 

[Oblesklk]

I always tickle my fiancee through the jeans

Sorry, couldn't resist the title 🙄

Anyhow, I'm personally convinced that tickling is genetic. It was never just some magic switch during my adolescence that "made" me all of a sudden love tickling. It has been a part of me since conscious thought. Obviously, it never took on sexual meaning until adolescence, but it was always there.

I would make an educated guess, and say that it's a recessive gene, as well. So most likely you won't pass it on to your children (well you WILL, but it doesn't mean they will be ticklers necessarily). I don't see the "tickle gene" in either one of my parents, but it's entirely possible it's in one of my uncles, aunts, cousins (of which I strongly suspected while growing up. We didn't spend much time together, but she'd beg me to tickle her feet whenever we were at a family reunion. Figures that one of the only girls to actually request to be tickled was related to me Fate is like that sometimes), or some other extended family.

I've done a bit of reading on the matter, and a genetic answer just seems to make most sense. Naturally, I don't have enough documentation to actually submit a theory to a psychological journal, but I've read enough so that I made up my own mind 🙂

 

[TickledToDeath]

I agree with Oblesklk,

My mom(rest her soul), was heavily into tickling(strict LER)!
She would tickle everyone in her path sooner or later and I got to help sometimes and was also the victim of her and some of her girlfriends as well!
There were also a few cousins(from her side of the family)who were also into tickling(lers and lees). One gal especially who lived with my house for a few years. We would tickle each other nightly! She had a quite laugh sometimes and that made it convienient to tickle her late at night while all others were fast asleep!😀
She LOVED it and never tried to fight me off!😀

TTD

 

[tklr5150]

I have a cousin who enjoys tickling a little, but I don't see much evidence otherwise to suggest any genetic code in my family. I tend to think that a tickling fetish, like any other sexual interest, is a product of pyschological and environmental factors. So much of what stimulates us is tied to subtle but profound associations either in our everyday social/cultural experiences (see: Western culture's breast/slim build fetishes -- these are not held by all men in all cultures at all time) and more specifically, by instances and circumstances from our most formative years. If you associate tickling with fond memories of some sort you will grow to like it. In my case, I used tickling to make my first contact with girls at a very early age, so it's no surprise that I connect tickling with flirting and attraction.

But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

 

[Randy Giles]

T5 is on the right track; there's nothing really genetic-based about it, but it's more the result of nurture (including childhood experiences) and nature.

"Slim-build fetish"?? There's a new one!

 

[TickledToDeath]

So, Randy and tklr, what you are saying is that one can be "programmed" during childhood to become a ticklephile? 😉


TTD


Listen up and take heed all you Parents out there!!!😀

 

[Randy Giles]

I'm not only saying that, but for all people, most aspects of their lives have roots which most likely developed during their childhoods. I know I can explain why I like tickling, ridiculously thin girls, certain sports teams, etc. as a result of events from my childhood, and I'm sure most people can do the same once they give some thought to it.

 

[Mimi]

Hmmmm...while what Randy said is possible in some cases, that is not always the case.

My uncle is a ticklephile, and I am pretty confident that my tickling fetish somewhat stems from him and the genes we share. I also feel I have passed this on hereditarily, as my daughter is already a major tickle freak, and she is only 6.

I had NO tickling experiences at all before the age of 5 that I can remember...none that would have 'programmed' me to develop a liking for tickling. However, once I discovered on my own (through strange urges to tickle and be tickled) that I 'craved' it, around the age of 5, then I set out to fullfill my tickling desires. It did not have a place in my life though, until I purposely designated a place in my life for it. So in my own personal experiences, I feel I inherited my tickling fetish, and have now passed it on to my daughter.

Mimi

 

[hawkikim]

Wow, this is an interesting question. My first tickle experiences were the usual - other little kids tickling me, etc...then, starting about age 6, my cousins & a couple neighbors (males, a few years older than I) used to hold my ankles and tickle me till I screamed (which usually caused one or more sets of parents to appear, alarmed, and break it up).

Obviously we swam in the same gene pool, but I don't think that the propensity is genetic. I think it's like any other positive reinforcement (ie, anything that makes us feel good or gives us pleasure). I think it is more influenced by our state of mind at the time that this stimulus occurs than it is by any random combo of genes.

On the other hand, if I am WAY off base and it IS some sort of recessive gene or something, I won't know till my daughter has kids...I do know SHE does not exhibit a tickle bent, like I do. Her interests lie elsewhere, and they are TOTALLY not the same as mine. But if it is recessive, my grandkids will show it...and I'll be watching for it!

Kim

 

[guitman69]

Mimi, I have a hard time believing that you were never tickled before the age of 5. If your uncle was so into tickling, I'm sure he did it to you on many occasions. Now I'm not saying that there was any sexual overtones to it. I tickle my nieces and nephews ( I have no kids of my own yet) and there is absolutely nothing sexual about it.

Now, I'm not a psychologist (and as they say a little knowledge is dangerous), but bare with me. Tickling children is usually done as a form of affection. You might have (and others) associated this action with the affection you were getting. Now, as for your daughter, if you tickled her a lot as a child, and always did it in a playful, loving way, she might also have early on associated affection with tickling. I have no idea how old your daughter is, but assuming she is still young, when she does things to get you to tickle her, its because she wants your affection. It's similar to asking for a hug.

If it is something you enjoy, then in some people, it becomes a fetish. I think the propensity to form a fetish might be genetic, but I don't think a tickling fetish is.

 

[Ticklish9's]

A bit of both

I imagine we're all on the right track with this one. Most psychological traits and abnormalities (including fetishes, phobias, and so forth) are a complex interaction between genetics and environment. For example, some people may have been genetically pre-disposed to be a tickler from day one; others might have had a slight inclination that, through positive reinforcement, blossomed into a full fledged fetish.

In the end, human beings are nothing but excessively intelligent animals (some of us aren't even that former part🙂) and quite as susceptible to Pavlovian behavior modification. I know that part of my being a 'Lee comes from the desire to give up control, which I'm sure is rather common. However, I also noticed certain signs of "affliction" with the ol' tickling fetish on one side of my family (whom I rarely see, else perhaps I'd be more certain of this one). I hate to lay the blame entirely on the genetic side of the equation, since I'm a fervent believer that both nature and nurture play major and active roles in development; however, I actually have never been tickled by anyone in my nuclear family and very few in my extended family, so I suspect that it had little to do with environment in my case (til recently, of course). 'Course, I'm not a biologist or anything - just a country guy who's read a few books. 🙂

 

[Strelnikov]

I'm becoming convinced that my 9 yr old daughter is one of us. She can't resist instigating tickle fights, even ones she hasn't a hope of winning (like with her 21 yr old sister.) I can't think of anything I've done to make her that way, and neither my wife or older girl are ticklephiles.

Looking on my family tree, neither my brother, my parents nor my grandparents were like us. There's possibly one blood relation who was a tickler in my grandparents generation. My grandma considered tickling "sadistic torture inflicted by siblings", which suggests that she may have gotten the treatment from one brother when they were kids. She never elaborated, but that would fit with what I've heard about his personality - he was the rowdy brother. No way to find out now, as everyone who was in a position to know for sure is deceased.

Strelnikov

 

[glentickle]

To Strelnikov

What a fascinating piece of knowledge to have about one's family's past!

I wish I could know some similar piece of family history from the generation of my grandparents, but I can't go back that far.

 

[Dave2112]

I've always wondered this myself. I was never completely convinced that it is purely sexual in nature. I had a neighbor girl that I'd pin down and tickle when I was around 8 or 9, and she'd always find ways to get pinned. Now, this is way before puberty, so it had to come from somewhere else.

Or perhaps any fetish you have is a precursor to your sexual development, manifesting itself earlier as kind of a warm-up. Who knows?

Good thread.😎

 

[Randy Giles]

Ticklish 9's said,

"some people may have been genetically pre-disposed to be a tickler from day one"

I don't necessarily agree with that statement because it's the equivalent of saying that some people are genetically pre-disposed to like basketball or the colour red. Genetics isn't my field of expertise, but I'm sure that there would have to be a specific gene to say that it's genetically-based (i.e. gene for eye colour, hair colour, etc). It's possible to say that your genetic code was such that it didn't favour normal sexual development, but even that wouldn't be enough to explain why someone would have a particular fetish over the other.

 

[toyou444]

Since I'm here today I've decide to spread soe my hard earned knowledge...ain't I wonderful?!?!😛

Anywho...I was just having this conversation with my wife yesterday (she has little or no interest in tickling other than within our private life). Our daughter had a doll that she asked mommy to tie the legs together so they would stay straight when she jumped...then she asked me not to use my fingernails on her feet, going as far as to say I would never dare do that.

That makes me wonder: is there a tickling gene or does she over hear mommy and daddy playing? I know members of my family that seem to be ticklers and I I'm leaning toward the nature theory. I seldom tickle my daughter, but others do. And she loves to tickle others (she's 4) and be tickled...I dunno...I'm afraid there's another one of us in the wings!

Fascinating thread BTW!

~ toyou

 

[terorizer]

Man, this question made me think of two other threads I’ll have to start now! LOL Oh well, long live the forum!! As for whether or not genes play a part in my love of tickling, I take the firm stance of…. I don’t know. Though I tend to lean more towards believing there is no genetic link. I don’t know if it has anything to do with where I grew up or the people I’ve grown up around, but practically everyone I know likes tickling. Even the people who “hate” being tickled, are amongst the first to tickle someone they know is ticklish. I even know folks who LOVE to tickle. Nevertheless, I don’t tend to think someone is a ticklephile because they enjoy tickling, because like I said, most everyone I know does. I think most folks in fact grow up liking it, until it’s been taken too far and used in an abusive manner. Still, I’ve never seen evidence that the average person…even one who enjoys tickling, has the same relation to it that I or any of the people I’ve met in this community do. On the other hand, I do feel this passion is hardwired into me, and that HAD to come from somewhere!

 

[Mimi]

In reply to some comments that were directed my way in some of the previous replies to this thread, I will attempt to explain my own personal stand again.

I did not say, at any time, that a tickling fetish was strictly genetic. I just feel in some cases it can be. And in my case, I feel that is where it developed.

It is possible that I received "affectionate tickles" as a baby, but I would not place too much on the possibility. My mother was never around, I did not know my father at all, and the ones who took care of me on a daily basis from birth on were my great grandmother and great uncle. Of the two, my uncle was abusive, and NEVER tickled me...only tried to cause me pain. My grandmother was not an overly affectionate person, but when she was feeling a little spry, her love came in the form of taking me places, or general cuddles. As for my uncle with the tickling fetish (my mothers brother), he did not tickle me at all until I myself showed an interest in it around the age of 5. Then it became a game for us.

So as far as I know, I had no introduction to tickling whatsoever as a baby or young child. My introduction came when I myself started sensing a desire to play that way.

And as for my daughter, I already knew of my fetish when she was born, and I do not, nor have I ever, participated in tickling play with her. It just is not comfortable for me. And I have been with her nearly 24 hours a day since her birth, and before she developed her own liking for tickling, she hardly had any experience with it. She is a very affectionate child, and when she is looking for affection, she merely goes for hugs, kisses, and cuddling. She only asks for tickling when she is feeling "rowdy". And then she does not like it in a gentle playful way...she is looking for someone to outright tickle torture her. I myself marked up it to normal child behavior, until my mother, an expert in the medical field, commented one day when my daughter was looking to be attacked, "I think she has a tickling fetish. Not sexual yet, but I can guarantee it will be when she becomes sexually active."

I do honestly believe some people can be predisposed to have a fetish. To compare a fetish to liking the color red or basketball is honestly a little silly. Do you get aroused when you see the color red, or watch a basketball game? Highly unlikely. The comparison really has nothing in common. However, psychiatrists have studied and stated many times that they believe sexual orientation is something you are genetically predisposed to. That does not mean it is hereditary. I know several gay people who have no gay relation at all. But they were simply born that way. They did not, all of a sudden, at the age of 10 or so, decide "I am only going to be sexually attracted to my own sex." And in all their cases, they had not had any sexual experiences or even 'affectionate' experiences beforehand that would have caused them to make such a decision about their sexuality. When you are born you are already genetically predisposed to be straight or gay. That is not a decision you make on your own later in life. And while I do agree that you can be conditioned to have a ticking fetish, or ANY fetish, I also feel you can not straight out say that a fetish can NOT be inherited or genetic. None of us here are equipped with a PHD, so none of us can acurately say it is definite one way or another. So please respect all possibilities, and do not try to hand off your opinion as the one and only solution to the question at hand. I feel both sides of the issue are right. It all depends on the individual as to where their own fetish originated.

Mimi

 

[tklr5150]

I don't know about you people, but I bought my tickling fetish at Sears. And I got a free 3.5 x 5 picture frame to boot!

 

[Randy Giles]

I know that when I watched Arizona win the NCAA basketball championship in 1997, I was in a true state of arousal!!

But seriously, the point of one of my replies in this thread was that there is no gene (at least that I know of) that determines whether you will grow up to like basketball or not. Likewise, I doubt that humans have a specific gene that determines if they will have a tickling fetish or not. If you were to disagree with that, then you'd have to say that humans would have a specific gene that determines if they have a fetish for being pissed on, not to mention all the hundreds of other fetishes out there.

However, I can see where comparing an activity to a fetish might be construed as comparing apples and oranges, so I'll concede that it's not the best line of reasoning (shouldn't post while hung-over).

There are genes that are responsible for sexual development, and as far as I know, sexual orientation is still debatable, but more than likely genetically-linked. In my opinion, the most logical way that tickling (as a sexual fetish) can be linked to genetics is by having a genetic code which makes someone more predisposed to develop sexual links to other things other than sex/reproduction (which is a point I made in my previous post). Now that I think about it, in this case, we're all probably mutants ... sweet!

It's the only educated way I can link tickling to genetics, but it's obviously not a very direct link. If you have any others, I'd be glad to hear what they are. Until then, my current belief is that you can inherit genes that code for sexual deviancy, but not for tickling specifically.

Also, I believe you directed the following statement at me:

"So please respect all possibilities, and do not try to hand off your opinion as the one and only solution to the question at hand."

I would appreciate if you could show me where I did that, because after re-reading my posts, I don't see where I made such statements.

Cheers,
RG

 

[Oblesklk]

I don't know about you people, but I bought my tickling fetish at Sears.

I got mine a few year's back at K-Mart. Blue light special even...too bad your's has a lifetime guarantee 🙄

I must agree with the other's that this is a great thread, hopefully it will gather many more folk to comment on it as time wears on.

I will stand by my genetic theory, as I'm an obstinate guy 🙂 Keep in mind though, that tickling didn't come to all of from our genes. For many of us visiting these boards, the tickle bug grew later in life, most likely out of fond memories of childhood or brought out by a lover.

I've been fascinated in the past by the sheer variation within our community. You'd think that tickling itself would be a very specialized interest...but think of how many people like feet, compared with armpits, with knees, with tummies, etc. I was also surprised to learn that for many of us, it really is a borderline fetish (i.e. some of us don't function well sexually without the presence of tickling in some fashion). Personally, I've always been fine sexually without tickling, it's just always been a sort of a "bonus."

Interesting things to think about. Too bad tickling isn't on the high list of priorities research-wise.

 

[qjakal]

Going with Mimi...

on this one. I think I would have this wiring despite any behavior or lack thereof in childhood...it's just a part of our pysche. Q

 

[tklr5150]

I got mine a few year's back at K-Mart. Blue light special even...too bad your's has a lifetime guarantee 🙄

Woo-hoo! That means I can throw it around and run over it with the car and shit, right? Good to know this wacky little chunk of me will be hanging on till I'm under the ground . . . or more accurately, till I'm sent out to sea on a flaming Viking ship.

 

[terorizer]

btw, DO we have any PHD's here?

I wouldn't be surprised at all. I know we're in just about every slot along the spectrum. Teachers and Professors I know....Doctors?

I've been fascinated in the past by the sheer variation within our community. You'd think that tickling itself would be a very specialized interest...but think of how many people like feet, compared with armpits, with knees, with tummies, etc. I was also surprised to learn that for many of us, it really is a borderline fetish (i.e. some of us don't function well sexually without the presence of tickling in some fashion). Personally, I've always been fine sexually without tickling, it's just always been a sort of a "bonus."

Interesting things to think about. Too bad tickling isn't on the high list of priorities research-wise.

If that isn’t the doll garned truth!! I too have been fascinated by the variation. We are far more varied than foot fetishism, which I believe is considered to be one of the most varied Just think, there are lees, lers and switches. Then there are conditional lers, lees and switches. Then there’s definition… some of us ONLY think of tickling as light strokes with a feather, while others think it’s ONLY fingers digging into ribs and feet. Some lees like feeling helpless, while others just enjoy the endorphin rush of the laughter. For some it’s always erotic and others it’s never erotic, while still there are those for whom it’s subjective. Strictly bondage/strictly restraint free. Control vs torture vs pleasure giving vs silly fun. It goes on and on and on. If there is a gene, it can’t just be one.

It looks like most of us can trace this fascination back to early childhood… whether being tickled, tickling someone, hearing the word or seeing it, etc. So what about those who were exposed to those same childhood ticklings, cartoon tickle sightings and so on, but weren’t affected by it? I’m speaking of the ones who first said, “Tickling??? You like TICKLING?”, and now can’t get enough! LOL

 

[Myriads]

The below is based on my reading, and interpretation of same.

Beware! Many words follow.

The core of this debate lies around this issue:

Is the development of the tickling fetish an issue of nature or nurture?

This question is also the basic one that most behaviorists have been chasing for decades with topics as varied as sexual orientation, juvenile delinqunecy, and alchoholism. It's not a simple one.

Current genetic understanding shows that we do have some genes that lead to the POSSIBILITY of the development of behavioral patterns. Alchoholism is a case in point. There seems to be a genetic predisposition for it. But having the gene does not mean that the person will become a lush. It simply means that the person has a much higher chance of that end. It will be the environment and upbringing that will make the difference.

Fetish behavior is a complex psychological issue. But it is varied enough to offer some examples that can point in the direction of not being totaly gene based. For example; Gas Mask fetishists. These folks cannot get off unless the person they are with is wearing a full face gas mask. There is no real way that a genetic predisposition would emerge for this man made object, and even if it could, the 70 years gas masks have been about is far too short in biological terms for it to have done so. So the behavior has to fall into the 'learned' group. Nurture creates Gas Mask fetishists, not nature. Odds are good that most fetishes fall into this type of development pattern.

However, the basis for which nature builds the fetish upon is probably genetic. Sexual preference, and personal level of dominance/submissiveness, probably have some basis in genetics. So do some other baseline qualities. This bundle of basic orientations add up to a set of catalysts for behavioral patterning given the right set of environmantal keys. Thus specific fetishes develop randomly based on the environment. It's a crap shoot. Fetish formation seems to spark in the literal psychological instant. A connection is made, and the fetish grows and expands from that one 'a-ha' moment. To make it even harder, the 'a-ha' moment might pass totaly unnoticed by the concious mind. It can be totaly subconcious.

what doews this all add up to? Some people have a higher potential for becoming tickling fetishists based on their genetic set of predispositions. They simply need to have the right environmental stimuli to start down the path. What those stimuli are, and what the basic genetics that will key is a mystery.

For those that come to tickling later in life, where the fetish seems to be an entirely learned preference, that is exactly what is happening. The person has decided to learn to like the behavior, much like one might decide to like green beans. Very doable with the right incentive or will. Now, the person who has chosen to learn to like this behavior might have a predisposition that will make the task simpler. For example, they might be a submissive. In discovering that they can get the thrill of being dominated by having the hell tickled out of them (with the bonus of tickling being socialy acceptable and not 'tainted' by negatives like say a flogging or whipping have in the general public eye) they learn to seek the behavior and enjoy it because it allows them to achieve their deeper behavioral desire... being dominated. The like is a conditioned one. Being tickled is accociated with the greater pleasure of being controled. Soon the two are linked psychologically. A totaly nurture based event. However, At the base of it all, there is still the basic genetic possibility that behind all of this psychology, there is a genetic predisposition to submissiveness.

So odds are good that it's a mix. Nature and Nurture working in tandem to create the behavior that we share.

Myriads