Hmmm...am I a sadist? I don't know- pathologically, surely that would include as a sadist anyone who doesn't care about the consent or damage done to their victims, and that isn't me. Do I enjoy inflicting pain on willing victims, who give themselves to me freely? Yes.

To me I think it's cathartic. I realise that I have this dark side in me; strongly established desires to inflict pain. In a BDSM context, I have the ability to channel that pain into another person who is willing and hopefully eager to accept it, and hopefully gain pleasure and satisfaction from it. I don't know why I have this dark side to me- I could rattle off a whole list of things about the bullying and social isolation I went through as a child, and no doubt they're a part of it. But honestly, I think some people are just wired this way, perhaps in a reversal of the neurological pathways that lead to masochism.

But being a sadist as a dom gives me the chance to give these demons enough exercise to keep them happy without giving them free reign over my life.