Is porn actually harmless, or are we just pretending?

[bazera]

@Basman Lets not split hairs about the terminology. The fact is that you can get so used to using it, you can overdo it and experience negative side effects (weak or no erections, low libido, requiring more intense content to get off, objectifying women in an unhealthy way, guilt, unable to maintain proper intimacy with a girl, etc), then you decide to quit and find yourself in a craving and relapsing cycles.

That's classic addiction to me. It can have psychological roots but also deep physiological dependency as well.

[TruthFreedom]

I AM PORN.

Edited 2 hours ago by TruthFreedom

[Monster Energy]

 

[UnbornTao]

1 hour ago, Carl-Richard said:

Wut

It's "nut," Carl.

[Carl-Richard]

11 hours ago, Monster Energy said:

You’re trying to define cheating in a very external, surface-level way. Like it only counts once there’s an obvious wedge or another physical person involved. But that’s already too late.

That's not what was said. Those were particularly pertinent examples. And the definition involves where you put your attention. That is why I concluded porn can be that wedge for some people. It just depends on strong the effect is. And you can't necessarily put a strong dichotomy there whether it's always a definite wedge that would be detrimental or if it's simply a way of using one's time. That's why you have a problem definitely defining it as cheating.

Edited 30 minutes ago by Carl-Richard

[integral]

Would porn still exist without capitalism?

[Monster Energy]

15 minutes ago, Carl-Richard said:

That's not what was said. Those were particularly pertinent examples. And the definition involves where you put your attention. That is why I concluded porn can be that wedge for some people. It just depends on strong the effect is. And you can't necessarily put a strong dichotomy there whether it's always a definite wedge that would be detrimental or if it's simply a way of using one's time. That's why you have a problem definitely defining it as cheating.

You’re not wrong, it does depend on the effect. But that’s exactly why it matters more than you’re making it sound.

Things don’t have to be obvious to be real. Some of the biggest shifts happen slowly, quietly, until they just become normal.

So yeah, maybe you can’t draw a clean line and call it cheating or not. But if something can create distance, even subtly, then pretending it’s neutral just because it’s not extreme yet, that’s where people fool themselves.

 

[bazera]

2 minutes ago, Monster Energy said:

Things don’t have to be obvious to be real. Some of the biggest shifts happen slowly, quietly, until they just become normal.

From my experience, you only realize those shifts happened after months of abstinence. It just strucks you after couple months.

Edited 18 minutes ago by bazera

[Monster Energy]

3 minutes ago, integral said:

Would porn still exist without capitalism?

Porn would still exist. Desire isn’t created by capitalism.

But what you’re seeing now isn’t just desire, it’s a system built to amplify it. Endless novelty, instant access, constant stimulation, all optimized to keep you hooked.

Without that structure, it wouldn’t dominate people the way it does now.

 

 

[Monster Energy]

3 minutes ago, bazera said:

From my experience, you only realize those shifts happened after months of abstinence. It just strucks you after couple months.

That’s the thing. You don’t notice it while you’re in it, because it is your normal.

It only becomes obvious once you step out of it. It took me years before I even started to feel like something was off.