Originally Posted by melpaganlibran /img/forum/go_quote.gif a lot of people misuse the word fetish and forget about its sexual meanings and connotations.i think an obsession is simply a fixation with something. "Mel has an obsession with matching underwear and bras; She obsesses more about nail polishes than she does make-up."
A fetish is a sexual hang-up, people forget that a fetish is defined as something that MUST be present for us to become aroused as- opposed to something that simply pleases us a little bit.
"John Doe loved to see women in stockings and black boots but his true fetish was long, toned legs. John could never be attracted to a lady without long, elegant legs"
I don't think you have a fetish at all, unless wearing those shoes actually turns you on and makes you ready for love. The guy at work should choose his words more carefully, lest he be misunderstood!
people are silly, huh.
hugs,
mela
Exactly! The word "fetish" by definition means that you are sexually turned on by the item/activity! (In the extreme case, the fetish is the only way you can get turned on!) In psychology, "obesession" has a negative connotation, meaning you're so obsessed with something that it interferes with your daily life, although I think a lot of people use the word more casually in modern English! (And yes, I took Abnormal Psychology one semester as an elective, lol)
Straight from dictionary.com (omitting unrelated definitions):
fetish
3. Psychology. any object or nongenital part of the body that causes a habitual erotic response or fixation.
obsession
–noun 1. the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc.
2. the idea, image, desire, feeling, etc., itself.
3. the state of being obsessed.
4. the act of obsessing.
5. Compulsive preoccupation with a fixed idea or an unwanted feeling or emotion, often accompanied by symptoms of anxiety.
6. A compulsive, often unreasonable idea or emotion.
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