What's the difference between a fetish and an obsession?

[Anonymous]

Like when it comes to dating a race. Examples are Jungle fever and yellow fever.If a white guy wanted to date a black woman it would be a black fetish?!?! I'm kind of confused :P

[dnately]

A fetishism is the sexual arousal a person receives from a physical object, or from a specific situation. A preference toward people of a certain appearance is not in of itself a fetish.

It's normal to find some physical attributes more attractive than others. Some guys like blonds, some girls find blue eyes sexy, and some prefer tall to short or darker skin to lighter. That is not a fetish. I would consider it an obsession if someone only cares about one attribute (e.g. being blond) and pursues all blonds ignoring anything else.

[Anonymous]

Sexual fetishism is when someone becomes sexually aroused by a certain object or situation. People get this mixed up with simple sexual preferences ALL the time. Finding one race more attractive than another isn't fetishism. Or as another example, being sexually attracted to fat girls isn't fetishism. It crosses over into fetishism when you're sexually aroused by body fat, not the actual person, or when you're sexually aroused by feeding them (a nonsexual situation).

Abnormal psychology class.

[pr3ttybr0wn]

normal: liking a black woman because you find her nice and attractive (no different from liking someone of your own race)

fetish: liking women just because they're black

obsession: when your fetish for black women extremely affects other areas of your life in a negative way

[Asker]

LOL

[pr3ttybr0wn]

thanks for BA :)

[kheserthorpe]

Upvote - this seemed accurate to me given how people currently use fetish. Technically a true fetish is more a 'required in order to enjoy sex'. So would verge into 'can only be happy with black women'.

[SourSkittlez]

Fetish, in a way, is an obsession. An obsession out of the norm. Or more specifically, an abnormal desire, like one who adores feet.

An obsession is just an extreme fondness of something.

And a white guy dating a black guy is no way considered a fetish or obsession.

[WoIIie]

I would think so, though I think true fetishes are more deeply rooted (possibly hereditery) while preferring a certain race could be the consequence of environment influence.

[sfauo]

Fetish is a certain desire, often peculiar or out of the ordinary.

An obsession is an extreme like/want of something.

[AngelLily]

They can be both the same thing.