masturbation poll

[Lauxa]

At what age did you start masturbating?

(please forgive me if it doesn't create the poll, I can't tell if it will or not at this point...)

[votoshka]

I guess at 7 or so I was pretty young! But I do remember in third grade or so, the girls had some kinda euphamism we used to describe it (we didn't know what it was actually called!) I think we named it the "whirly twirly" LOL.

But yeah, I knew from a pretty young age (younger than that) that it felt "good" to touch myself or rub myself there. I just didn't figure out the actual orgasm part until 7 or 8!

[Philemon]

Does the rope in gym class count?

[NicB]

12 was the golden age for me.

[Nbax]

12!

[ssandra]

Somewhere around 12 or 13... although I had sexual themed fantasy plays with my barbies way before that

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by votoshka

I guess at 7 or so I was pretty young! But I do remember in third grade or so, the girls had some kinda euphamism we used to describe it (we didn't know what it was actually called!) I think we named it the "whirly twirly" LOL.

But yeah, I knew from a pretty young age (younger than that) that it felt "good" to touch myself or rub myself there. I just didn't figure out the actual orgasm part until 7 or 8!

Wow! Cool!

Society is so bent on removing any sense of sexuality from children... it's interesting to hear how early on it can awake in people...

[ssandra]

My personal opinion on this issue is that this isn't sexuality in children. And that society does good in not seeing it as such. That is a slippery slope...

I think the physical feelings that a child experiences and maybe even the mental ideas associated with that are completely different from the complexity of feelings (physical and emotional) and mental ideas that a young adult (starting puberty) feels.

I personally also don't feel comfortable calling it sexuality, when we are talking about a child before puberty.

[votoshka]

Originally Posted by ssandra

My personal opinion on this issue is that this isn't sexuality in children. And that society does good in not seeing it as such. That is a slippery slope...

I think the physical feelings that a child experiences and maybe even the mental ideas associated with that are completely different from the complexity of feelings (physical and emotional) and mental ideas that a young adult (starting puberty) feels.

I personally also don't feel comfortable calling it sexuality, when we are talking about a child before puberty.

Well in a sense it is sexuality, but in a sense it is not. As in, at the age of 7, I had no idea what "sex" was in adult terms. But that didn't stop me from being able to figure out how to achieve an orgasm. I guess it was only later that I was able to connect the two.

I'm honestly not sure how old I was when I learned about sex, but I think about 9 or 10. I guess somewhere along the way I connected the feelings from masturbation with the feelings from sex.

But yes, you are right that there is a fine line, and one does have to be careful. Just because a child can achieve an orgasm, doesn't mean that it's acceptable to inappropriately touch a child or engage in sexual play with a child, and I can imagine that there are pedophiles who could use the idea that a child is capable of feeling sexual arousal and therefore it's okay to have sex with a child, which of course is totally wrong!!

[RonSouther]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

Wow! Cool!

Society is so bent on removing any sense of sexuality from children... it's interesting to hear how early on it can awake in people...

I was just thinking that "kids" can reproduce say around 12 or 13? That's makes them adults according the natural law. As a society, we keep them as kids because of the huge intellect they have to acquire before being turned loose.

[Andrew Gubb]

I had the Unpopular Opinion (TM) thinking about this thread that if you could find a child who enjoyed it and gave their informed consent, then you could solve the pedophile problem.

That said, given how twisted and difficult sex is in this world, we probably are very wise in keeping such defenseless beings as children away from it.

THAT said, I do think young people are capable of more maturity than we give them credit for. I quote from my article Child Exploitaion:

But before the modern schooling system, the U.S. Navy’s first Admiral, David Farragut, had become a midshipman at ten and risen up the ranks to command a ship at the age of twelve. I state this not to underline a child prodigy, but to show you what I think is the maturity that all children are capable of if that maturity isn’t deliberately retarded. I quote from John Taylor Gatto’s “The Underground History Of American Education”:

[tatemae]

Probably fifteen; undoubtedly late for a guy, but I've always been ashamed of myself physically and depressed by masturbation.

[votoshka]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

I had the Unpopular Opinion (TM) thinking about this thread that if you could find a child who enjoyed it and gave their informed consent, then you could solve the pedophile problem.

That said, given how twisted and difficult sex is in this world, we probably are very wise in keeping such defenseless beings as children away from it.

THAT said, I do think young people are capable of more maturity than we give them credit for. I quote from my article Child Exploitaion:

Well... maybe young children CAN enjoy sex, but I'm still pretty sure that sex with an adult would screw them up! I just think young kids aren't ready for it at all... not in that way (I do suppose it depends how YOUNG we're talking though). Like, I seriously doubt a 7 year old can EVER be mature enough to consent to sex with an adult.

And any parent who would LET their child would be a seriously messed up individual too!

Don't get me wrong, I actually do feel kind of sorry for pedophiles... I don't think anyone asks to be sexually attracted to young children, and it must be extremely difficult that the object of your desire is illegal.

[tatemae]

Originally Posted by votoshka

I'm still pretty sure that [a child having] sex with an adult would screw [the child] up!

With regards to the view that children are always traumatised or scarred by any encounter with a pedophile -- there was an interesting anecdote in (I believe) Spilling The Beans by (I again believe) Clarissa Dickson Wright wherein they mentioned that they had been preyed upon by a pedophile for a short time; she mentioned that she felt that her mother's reaction -- dealing with the situation quickly and quietly, avoiding the hysteria which occurs at present whenever a pedophile is in the news -- meant that she had no psychological trauma or scarring as a result of the episode.

(I'm not trying to imply that pedophilia is acceptable -- just that perhaps the way the incidents are dealt with and the victims are counselled could be improved.)

[NicB]

Might i add that although i started at 12, i definitely had sexual thoughts in me from very young!

I had a female neighbour when i was around 8 that "showed me hers", and basically masturbated, right there in front of me, like a showcase... and although i pretended like i didn't want to see it... i was definitely totally turned on, even at age 8

[tatemae]

Originally Posted by NicB

I had a female neighbour when i was around 8 that "showed me hers"

Be happy you don't live in Florida... :facepalm:

(The only time I've seen a girl naked is when I walked into the wrong changing room during a school swimming lesson and came face to face with the entire female population of my class in various states of undress :soembarassedgroundswallowmeplease?:)

[Criseyde]

Originally Posted by RonSouther

I was just thinking that "kids" can reproduce say around 12 or 13? That's makes them adults according the natural law. As a society, we keep them as kids because of the huge intellect they have to acquire before being turned loose.

Having the equipment doesn't mean you're an adult. Many 12-13 year old girls who become pregnant end up with massive complications because their hips are not yet wide enough to bear a child (obstetric fistula is one of them). Without medical intervention, they frequently die. Sexual development is a process, it doesn't happen overnight.

I think someone is sexually mature or sexually "ready" when they can say "yes, I feel safe and happy about having sex," with a good understanding of the 'consequences' involved (including emotional ones). The age can vary greatly.

[RonSouther]

Originally Posted by Criseyde

Having the equipment doesn't mean you're an adult. Many 12-13 year old girls who become pregnant end up with massive complications because their hips are not yet wide enough to bear a child (obstetric fistula is one of them). Without medical intervention, they frequently die. Sexual development is a process, it doesn't happen overnight.

I think someone is sexually mature or sexually "ready" when they can say "yes, I feel safe and happy about having sex," with a good understanding of the 'consequences' involved (including emotional ones). The age can vary greatly.

I hear you, just pointing out that by nature, kids can make babies. That's all. So to hear that kids that age are sexually active is no surprise.

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by Criseyde

I think someone is sexually mature or sexually "ready" when they can say "yes, I feel safe and happy about having sex," with a good understanding of the 'consequences' involved (including emotional ones). The age can vary greatly.

Exactly. In a perfect world where laws didn't need to be in place to protect children, we could get ourselves out of their way so that they could express themselves sexually whenever they got to that point. I'm not sure where that point would happen if we weren't so !"·$·"%·$ up as a culture and didn't try to confuse everyone, especially children, as much as possible about their sexual desires.

[ssandra]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

Exactly. In a perfect world where laws didn't need to be in place to protect children, we could get ourselves out of their way so that they could express themselves sexually whenever they got to that point. I'm not sure where that point would happen if we weren't so !"·$·"%·$ up as a culture and didn't try to confuse everyone, especially children, as much as possible about their sexual desires.

In the Netherlands and according to my personal experience, they aren't ♥♥♥♥ed up about sexuality and sexuality in children.

I think the average age is about 16 where people have their first experience.

Although I was turned on younger, I passed on sex. I wasn't emotionally ready for that yet.

[russianrocket]

Does dream state masturbation count? : D

[cacheborn]

To answer OP, at 7 or 8. I was kind of prodigious I guess.

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by ssandra

In the Netherlands and according to my personal experience, they aren't ♥♥♥♥ed up about sexuality and sexuality in children.

Everywhere they are as far as I know. Social conditioning. The remains of christianity. The dutch people I've known haven't been sexual revolutionaries as far as I've seen.

[ssandra]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

Everywhere they are as far as I know. Social conditioning. The remains of christianity. The dutch people I've known haven't been sexual revolutionaries as far as I've seen.

Not revolutionaries, just normal about it. Sex is sex and it is fun and enjoyable, and be safe at the same time and only do it if you want to, and only with the person you want to do it with.

There is extremely little of Christianity left in the attitude of especially northern Dutch people. Common sense before religion is a big thing...

[elucidate]

They say that babies masturbate regularly, and 2-3 yr olds will often play with their genitals, so we all probably did it then...but as for when I remember was the earliest time I started...I think it was about 7...although I was raised catholic, and always had the guilt thing, and the freakiness of having the urge to but the thought that God was watching me...which made it unpleasant.

I didn't unravel all that until I was about 18 and really started questioning all that stuff, and concluded that I did not believe in God or the Devil...which made things much more fun.

[russianrocket]

Originally Posted by elucidate

They say that babies masturbate regularly, and 2-3 yr olds will often play with their genitals, so we all probably did it then...but as for when I remember was the earliest time I started...I think it was about 7...although I was raised catholic, and always had the guilt thing, and the freakiness of having the urge to but the thought that God was watching me...which made it unpleasant.

I didn't unravel all that until I was about 18 and really started questioning all that stuff, and concluded that I did not believe in God or the Devil...which made things much more fun.

They told you god watched you masturbate? Creepy perv
.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by russianrocket

They told you god watched you masturbate? Creepy perv
.

I know. It wasn't until I really thought about that one that I was able to reverse it and see it this way. The power of suggestion is a very powerful thing.

Perv.

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by ssandra

Not revolutionaries, just normal about it.

I honestly think you need to be revolutionary to really call yourself free from society's bull****. As Krishnamurti said, "It is no measure of good health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."

Is there prostitution in Holland? Yes. Is there sexual frustration in holland? Yes. Do people have troubles with understanding their desires, realising their nature as sexual beings? Yes. Otherwise there would be revolution in the world centred around that place.

Most people don't have any idea what healthy looks like. There is NO society in the world that is totally psychologically healthy. A true level of absolute health is revolution; just kind of fitting in means fitting in with the bull****.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

I honestly think you need to be revolutionary to really call yourself free from society's bull****. As Krishnamurti said, "It is no measure of good health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."

Is there prostitution in Holland? Yes. Is there sexual frustration in holland? Yes. Do people have troubles with understanding their desires, realising their nature as sexual beings? Yes. Otherwise there would be revolution in the world centred around that place.

Most people don't have any idea what healthy looks like. There is NO society in the world that is totally psychologically healthy. A true level of absolute health is revolution; just kind of fitting in means fitting in with the bull****.

So, then placing yourself squarely outside of society and not wanting to fit in would mean that you are healthy, but the rest of the world considers YOU to be insane and weird, because they all think they are sane and healthy, when really they are sick.

Who knew that being so 'normal' could be such an abnormal thing.

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by elucidate

So, then placing yourself squarely outside of society and not wanting to fit in would mean that you are healthy, but the rest of the world considers YOU to be insane and weird, because they all think they are sane and healthy, when really they are sick.

Exactly.