When someone massages my neck or even just runs a finger across my skin it feels pleasant, but doing the same things to myself basically yields no sensation. I even remember going to the doctor as a child and enjoying the feeling of getting my ears checked with whatever the tool is they use for it, or the feeling when my grandma would comb through my hair to check for lice. Again doing it myself doesn’t feel nearly as good even though it’s the same physical movements. Why?
In: Biology
It’s the same reason you can’t tickle yourself. The body knows what to expect when you do something to yourself. You can’t ever have the element of surprise because you’re the one in control of your hand.
Also, we’re social creatures at our core. We like the feeling of touching each other, it’s a way of bonding. There’s something that feels just that little bit extra good when someone does something for you.
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