A Compersion Dictionary Definition And How It Relates To Our Sexual Compersion
Contrary to popular belief, compersion is not the opposite of jealousy, and sexual compersion is not experienced when watching porn. Most websites that define compersion have the compersion dictionary definition a little wrong, and it is wrong because the writers do not fully understand what compersion means or how it affects people. Those who have downloaded and used the Fantasy App in the past have experienced the difference between being aroused by a sexual act and being aroused through sexual compersion. This article explains how jealously is not the antonym of compersion, and how compersion is not the feeling you get when watching porn.
A Compersion Dictionary Definition
The dictionary definition of compersion is the feeling of joy or pleasure when watching another person experience something pleasurable. Compersion is born from an emotional connection to the other person, even if that emotional connection is nothing more than familiarity. Some say that compersion is the opposite of jealousy, but this is just not true.
Jealousy stems from seeing something that somebody else is experiencing and wanting it for yourself. Compersion stems from seeing something that somebody else is experiencing it and experiencing it yourself vicariously (almost through your own empathetic imagination).
Have you ever seen those skateboarding kids on YouTube suffer a terrible wipeout while trying to pull of skateboarding tricks? You almost feel that person's pain when it happens. You may even make an audible “Ooowwwch” sound when you see it. This experience of almost feeling pain on another person's behalf is the opposite of compersion (not jealousy).
Is Sexual Compersion What Happens When We Watch Porn?
Actually, sexual compersion is not what happens when we watch porn. Though the line is a little blurrier for a woman than it is for a man.*
When somebody watches porn, they are aroused by the person he or she is attracted to within the movie. Typically, when watching porn, the watcher substitutes himself/herself for somebody within the video and imagines what it would be like to have sex with the person he or she is attracted to. This act is closer to jealousy than sexual compersion, because the watcher wants what the person in the video already has.
The reason sexual compersion doesn't take place when a person watches porn is because the watcher has no emotional link to the people in the video. That is why if you ever see a friend or associate naked (in real life or a picture), it has far more impact than if you see the thousands of naked strangers online.
When you watch porn, you get pleasure from pretending you are doing whatever is being done to the man or woman in the video. When you experience sexual compersion, you are drawing pleasure from one of the people undertaking the sexual act. Sexual compersion is where you are experiencing intense feelings of arousal through empathetic imagination in the same way you almost feel pain when a person you care for is injured in front of you.
*Some forms of female-friendly porn are engineered in a way that makes women feel a connection with the participants, which then leads to a feeling of sexual compersion when the two (or more) engage in sexual acts.