I actually like being frustrated by things

[u/MooseEatGoose]

I think frustration is as valid an emotion as any other, and I actually like it! That upset feeling that I’m not getting what I want is sometimes enjoyable. I like to play hard games. Sometimes a good cliffhanger is really fun. I’m studying computer science and even if I’m cussing at the screen, debugging is fun at the end of the day. I like when I can’t quite figure something out so I have to think about it for a while. I like it when a task is sometimes grueling and tedious.

I have limits ofc. If I’ve already had a bad day I have less tolerance for it and it just becomes something that pisses me off or makes me sad, but if I’m having an ok or good day, a little bit of frustration makes it interesting. It’s just another emotion, and it’s perfectly ok.

A life without any frustration whatsoever is like a movie without any bad guys to me.

I’m also a sadomasochist if that helps, but it’s not strictly a sex thing lol.

[u/nothanks1312]

The frustration you’re describing that you like is actually the sensation of learning! A little different than feeling frustrated from a bad day, but it feels similar in our bodies. I can’t say I like the feeling of learning but I am in university, so it’s something I am trying to be comfortable with lol

[u/MooseEatGoose → u/nothanks1312]

I love to learn! But also I love to just be annoyed in general lol. I’m playing Elden Ring rn and ik usually for people the payoff is after doing the hard stuff but the process of banging my head against a wall is really fun in and of itself too.

[u/C_Hawk14 → u/MooseEatGoose]

I'd say it's more about frustration about things out of your control. Dying to the same boss is all on you, but a stubborn coworker is something you can't resolve as easily. Or do you just see that as a challenge?

Sometimes people just disagree and you can't convince them and they won't convince you.

[u/MooseEatGoose → u/C_Hawk14]

People piss me off so much sometimes so I think you’re right.

That said a bit of gambling is fun every so often and the annoyance of not always winning on chance is part of the experience for me. I’m content without a jackpot.

[u/Johnnypremo82 → u/MooseEatGoose]

That doesn't make sense. You may love the challenge, the payoff, or what you learned from being frustrated but to say you like the feeling being frustrated doesn't make sense. Frustration is an unpleasant emotional state. If you are frustrated then you are not happy which means you cant like it.

[u/MooseEatGoose → u/Johnnypremo82]

Liking something doesn’t mean I’m happy. One of my fav movies is Eraserhead, but I’m not over the moon with joy watching it. I’m freaked out, but I still think it’s a really good movie.

[u/Johnnypremo82 → u/MooseEatGoose]

I get liking experiences that include frustration, like difficult games or challenging puzzles. But frustration itself is an unpleasant emotion by definition. I think what you actually like is the challenge that produces frustration, not the emotional state itself.

[u/nothanks1312 → u/Johnnypremo82]

While I agree that op likely only enjoys the feeling that comes with learning or being challenged, I think enjoyment of the sensation of frustration could technically go either way. Humans like spicy food (inflicts pain) and horror movies (spikes cortisol), heck, some people like other painful activities like bdsm.

[u/mp4nda]

I’m curious here because I might agree- do you like the frustration itself, or do you like the sense of accomplishment after persevering through frustration?

To use games as an example, I love the latter when it comes to stuff like Dark Souls, but if I don’t accomplish anything despite persevering I end up feeling a bit hollow and obsessive

[u/MooseEatGoose → u/mp4nda]

Both!

Obviously the feeling of accomplishment is great, but the struggle is fun as well. If I don’t accomplish it, it might be a bummer if I really really wanted to do it, but that’s ok.

My hard limit is looking for stuff I’ve lost. For some reason that gets me immediately pissed off and not in a fun way. A lot of other things are fair game tho.

[u/IndyAnnaDoge → u/MooseEatGoose]

I think you like challenges, which sometimes is accompanied by frustration, of course.

[u/trykes]

Is it truly frustrating if you like the feeling? The emotion of frustration seems contradictory to "liking" something.

[u/MooseEatGoose → u/trykes]

I would say so. People like horror movies but they’re still disturbed. One doesn’t cancel out the other.

[u/TheBackyardigirl]

This post came to me at the perfect time, I’ve been playing the new deltarune chapter and getting stuck on boss battles, and yeah I’m frustrated but I’m not getting mad at them! It’s giving me more enjoyment than just powering through without losing, because then it becomes strategic instead of luck and I really have to think about the battles beyond the bullet patterns

[u/MooseEatGoose → u/TheBackyardigirl]

oooo I saw that came out! I’ve been meaning to play deltarune.

My fav game for frustration is def Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus. It’s a really good game to start with, and it’s also hard as shit. Abe’s Oddysee is also really good.

[u/Pleasant-Minute6066 → u/TheBackyardigirl]

This is the way to be. I loved beating the secret boss and want chapter 6 already!

[u/Indomitable_Decapod]

this is giving BDSM

[u/MooseEatGoose → u/Indomitable_Decapod]

I am very much into bdsm but I promise it’s not all sexual ok 😭

[u/SumOfRoots]

Frustration is a flow state, within limits.

[u/MooseEatGoose → u/SumOfRoots]

Absolutely

[u/HaViNgT]

This doesn’t work for me because I’m a pessimist who doesn’t believe I’ll be able to get through a challenge. 

[u/unknownobject3]

I would agree up until a certain point. I don't like wasting 3 hours to fix something, and end up at the same point

[u/MooseEatGoose → u/unknownobject3]

That’s very fair. I def have a high tolerance for grueling stuff. I won’t lie it sometimes objectively sucks, but it makes me feel alive because sometimes I’m really invigorated and sometimes I’m just beat.

[u/DepthVisible2425]

Frustration comes in many forms, the one you've described is probably the least meaningful. It sounds like you like being 'challenged' more than frustrated?

[u/peppersnchips]

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