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Partner mentioned an interest in sadism and I feel uneasy

245 replies

Cabiwoca · 25/05/2026 20:10

Relatively new relationship (3 months). I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so happy although I have some problems that I am still working through, which he is aware of and agreed to give me space for. Maybe not the point but I didn’t want to drip feed.

He mentioned an interest in sadism this weekend, which I honestly cannot comprehend at all and which I am not happy to engage with. He seemed fine with it and said that he just hadn’t wanted to keep this hidden. We obviously talked about it for a bit but I’m still thinking that it’s pretty messed up and that no sane person would be interested in anything like this but maybe I’m being judgemental.

Is this something that people just talk about, because to me this is not a “normal” thing to be interested in and it worries me a bit. I understand that people have kinks and I never thought I’d mind but i immediately felt so uneasy.

OP posts:
Kizmet1 · 25/05/2026 22:23

Trust your intuition. Something about what he said or how he said it has sent alarm bells ringing and made you come here for advice.
If you are working through issues he knows your are, to an extent, vulnerable. That isn't to say his intentions are bad here, but he has chosen an odd time to raise something potentially problematic/upsetting, that he then says he doesn't even really need.
If your best friend came to you with this, what would you advise her to do?

wrongthinker · 25/05/2026 22:23

horrible men have never needed an excuse to hurt women if they wanted to, and they don't need to hide behind kinks to do it.

This is such a weird argument.

Of course horrible men need excuses to hurt women! They're not going to attract any women to hurt if they don't hide their true intentions, are they?

Luckily for them, there are lots of excuses available. And 'I can't get a boner unless I'm inflicting cruelty and pain on another person' is a popular one that a lot of people seem to fall for.

Rockgrin · 25/05/2026 22:33
On My Way Running GIF by Mission: Impossible

Run!

Jellox · 25/05/2026 22:38

I’m quite open minded when it comes to sex but I have a rule that if anyone mentions anything slightly violent regarding sex at the beginning/dating stage, then it’s a massive red flag.

I feel it’s very much testing the waters to see how far you would take it and how much they can push your boundaries.

Cabiwoca · 25/05/2026 22:39

HydenSeek · 25/05/2026 22:09

I'm not justifying myself to anyone, I'm incredibly comfortable with who I am. But the OP, and others, are painting a picture that anyone who would be considered a sadist is inherently evil and ime, it's quite the opposite. I was explaining that, to offset the lynch mob who wants his blood for having a kink they don't agree with

I really don’t think that I have painted him that way, or at least it hadn’t been my intention.
Im not sure what to do with the information I was given but I somehow don’t think that this thread will help me.
He is one of the most gentle people I ever met.

OP posts:
aurpod1980 · 25/05/2026 22:40

See recent thread about a fella who liked pegging run a mile I’ll try find it

wrongthinker · 25/05/2026 22:43

You could just tell him straight: I'm not interested in sadism and I never will be. It's never going to be part of our sex life, and if we stay together, it's not something that I'm going to change my mind about. If you want to keep seeing me, you'll need to accept that this is not going to be a part of our relationship. If you can't accept that, then let's end it, as we're not compatible.

Jellox · 25/05/2026 22:50

Cantbloodyrememberthenameonthread · 25/05/2026 21:58

Gosh the replies are always so narrow minded on these threads.

if it’s not for you it’s not for you. It’s really that simple.

some people like doing it, others like recieving it. I love getting choked slapped spat on etc. truly don’t enjoy sex without it. The world keeps spinning.

I’m not sure what posts you’re referring to as I’ve not read them all but surely you can understand that there are some men out there that enjoy hurting and humiliating women for their own enjoyment and so OP needs to be careful of this.

I personally would think someone like you who can’t enjoy sex without being degraded is narrow minded.
I love mixing it up by switching roles and role playing and all things that wouldn’t allow for me to be degraded every single time.
I would say narrow minded is only enjoying sex if it involves a certain thing.

But I guess if you can’t enjoy sex without being degraded then it is something to speak to a new partner about but my opinion is that 3 months is way too early to be discussing this and I’d see it as a red flag that he is bringing it up now, not necessarily what he’s into but how soon he’s bringing it up - like he’s trying to test the waters.

Whataflippincircus · 25/05/2026 22:55

Cabiwoca · 25/05/2026 22:39

I really don’t think that I have painted him that way, or at least it hadn’t been my intention.
Im not sure what to do with the information I was given but I somehow don’t think that this thread will help me.
He is one of the most gentle people I ever met.

If he enjoys inflicting pain, he is not the most gentle person you’ve ever met. He’s told you loud and clear that he’s a sadist.

FFS, get out now before he hurts you.

EmeraldRoulette · 25/05/2026 23:02

Whataflippincircus · 25/05/2026 22:55

If he enjoys inflicting pain, he is not the most gentle person you’ve ever met. He’s told you loud and clear that he’s a sadist.

FFS, get out now before he hurts you.

This

@Cabiwoca run away, far far far away

And then run for a bit longer and get further away! 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩

DirtyGertiefromno30 · 25/05/2026 23:02

Honestly the way you are being so naive and convinced he is gentle , makes me think he picked you out deliberately and is grooming you .

changeme4this · 25/05/2026 23:05

Cabiwoca · 25/05/2026 22:39

I really don’t think that I have painted him that way, or at least it hadn’t been my intention.
Im not sure what to do with the information I was given but I somehow don’t think that this thread will help me.
He is one of the most gentle people I ever met.

OP you have only known this chap for 3 months and it’s way too soon to predict that he isn’t like one of the PoS mentioned above.

if you are not sexually compatible now, it’s not going to change.

LeebLeefuhLurve · 25/05/2026 23:06

For what it's worth, those calling us narrow minded and vanilla 🙄I had a brush with BDSM spaces eons ago when a couple of people I dated were into it - many of the so-called sadistic men I encountered later turned out to be domestic abusers once their partners spoke out, some of us speak from experience rather than coming from a place where it's only missionary sex with the lights off.

Trust your gut, OP. Something else you'll find on threads like this are those posters falling over themselves to talk about their 'kinks'/paraphillias in graphic, convoluted detail, even though no one asked, or cares.

Sodthesystem · 25/05/2026 23:06

Eep, nah, I mean masochism maybe, as a kink. Weird but, harmless to you. But sadism, fuck no. Nope nope fuckity nope nope nope. He watches porn where women get beaten up, guaranteed. I mean getting off on hurting women is messed up (not that it wouldn’t be if it was a woman hurting a man, but she’s much less likely actually seriously hurt him in the heat of things).

Agree with the poster that said he is sounding you out. And to nope out of there, yesterday.

FaceIt · 25/05/2026 23:07

DirtyGertiefromno30 · 25/05/2026 23:02

Honestly the way you are being so naive and convinced he is gentle , makes me think he picked you out deliberately and is grooming you .

This.
@Cabiwoca Your words are chilling.

Sodthesystem · 25/05/2026 23:09

But he’s not gentle, he gets off on hurting women. Hellloooooo.
Anyone can act gentle for three months.

Italiangreyhound · 25/05/2026 23:09

Your choice but it'd be a hard mo from me.

It's ok to make judgments. You could also call them boundaries. Listen to your gut.

Xxxxx

ChickenBananaBanana · 25/05/2026 23:10

He's barely a boyfriend. How on earth is he a partner? You've known him for a minute amount of time! Christ what's the rush to say partner like you've been together a decade.

Whataflippincircus · 25/05/2026 23:10

This thread is absolutely chilling. Please pay attention to what’s being said @Cabiwoca , you’re clearly being groomed and you’re obviously vulnerable. Listen to the wise women of Mumsnet.

Whataflippincircus · 25/05/2026 23:11

ChickenBananaBanana · 25/05/2026 23:10

He's barely a boyfriend. How on earth is he a partner? You've known him for a minute amount of time! Christ what's the rush to say partner like you've been together a decade.

Spectacularly misses the point.

Italiangreyhound · 25/05/2026 23:11

Your choice but it'd be a hard mo from me.

It's ok to make judgments. You could also call them boundaries. Listen to your gut.

Xxxxx

Sodthesystem · 25/05/2026 23:11

Just because some fringe activity has a fancy buzz word doesn’t mean it’s ok.

IFeelARantComingOn · 25/05/2026 23:12

ByGraptharsHammer · 25/05/2026 22:13

It is how he gets that need met that speaks to his character. He doesn’t sound good to me. The OP says she has some problems. There is some vulnerability there. This man can easily get his needs met, but has chosen her.

Your post was unbelievably about yourself. Really. No one needs to know that much about your preferences or why you like it. Tone deaf

Any thread where an op expresses concern or hesitation when their partner expresses an interest in painful and/or degrading sex acts, where someone is vulnerable and posters point out red flags or worrying signs, there’s others who seek to take personal offence and/or go into lots of detail about their own sex life and why they enjoy the acts and dress it up as some empowering thing. Sometimes you even get people telling the op she should give it a go and list all the tips she could try to enjoy it.

It’s like some people can’t accept that some people do in fact seek to vulnerable women to have sexually violent relationships with. It happens and it’s not as rare as it should be. I have a friend into this stuff and she’s always said that a certain type of men circles a certain type of women and she knows full well some women have low self esteem and poor boundaries and traumatic pasts that mean spotting an abusive creep is harder for them and she avoids people who try to pretend that all the men in the community are nice and kind, instead she teaches red flags to look out for, and one is men who choose not to tell a vulnerable woman from the start that their onto and then say a few months in when they’ve gained trust to then say they just want it out in the open.

ChickenBananaBanana · 25/05/2026 23:13

Whataflippincircus · 25/05/2026 23:11

Spectacularly misses the point.

Not really. Is shows op has poor judgement on this relationship. Is it because he's love bombing her into this sadism stuff and eroding boundaries?