Before the 1960s, people who wrote books on sex stated with an almost religious fervor that playing with yourself (masturbation) was a very bad thing to do. Today, people who write books on sex speak with the same kind of religious fervor, only now they say that playing with yourself is a very good thing to do.
It doesn't seem as though anything has changed. That's because none of the experts are asking you what you want to do. When it comes to the question of whether you should or shouldn't be masturbating, this book doesn't have any answers. It's your hand and your pants; if you want to stick one into the other, that's totally up to you.
What we can tell you is that as teenagers we felt certain that masturbation was an adolescent thing, something people get over when they become adults. Hmmmm. That never happened.
There are times when people do it a lot, and times when they hardly do it at all; times when it feels great, and times when it's a letdown. But during those times when the world doesn't seem like such a nice place, masturbation can usually be counted on to help take off some of the edge. It's also a wonderful nighttime aid that helps ease the transition between wakefulness and sleep, and contrary to what you might think, it will sometimes play an important role in relationships even when the sex between you and your partner is totally satisfying.
Playing with yourself can be a way to explore and pamper your body, as well as to explore the sexual feelings that you might be having about someone else. Some people find that their bodies simply work better if they have an orgasm every day or two, with masturbation being a natural way to help this happen. Sometimes, you might find that you get into a certain state of mind where you need to masturbate just to relax enough so you can get the rest of your work done.
Whatever the motivation, if you are going to get yourself off by hand, why not try to get the most out of it? That is the focus of this chapter. Also, if you are new to college, there is a special section on collegiate wanking at the end of the chapter.
(This chapter is continued in the book.)
