'Normal' people and their reactions to sneezing versus us. (Long and pointless)

[Gypsy]

Okay. So I've been having some random philosophical thoughts about what having this fetish means and I was wondering what some of your thoughts are.

Last night I was at a bonfire with my boyfriend and a few close friends, and he stifled a sneeze into my back while I was sitting on his lap. It wasn't on my skin or anything (I was wearing a small hoodie) and it was really clean and controlled, and obviously I loved it, but it got me wondering...is that like...a thing that normal people do? He doesn't know I have the fetish (I've decided to keep it secret thus far) but he might know by now that I'm not squeamish about sneezing or snot or anything. I feel like he probably just feels comfortable doing that sort of thing because we're really close, but would a normal girl have been grossed out or thought it was disrespectful? Do couples do that? I can't remember ever seeing someone do it before, but maybe some of you guys have. Even my ex-boyfriends who knew I had the fetish never did that. Has he done that with past girlfriends, or do I just give off 'it's okay to sneeze on me' vibes? Was it just a last-minute instinctive decision and am I entirely over-thinking things? (Probably, yeah.)

And what about all those observations that we share and freak out about, the really good ones, where attractive people or our significant others have sneezing fits right near us and stuff like that? How do normal people react to those things? Do they think it's gross, cute, kind of a turn-off, or generally unremarkable and forgettable? I guess it must really vary from person to person, but I feel like our tendency to not mind it and even fawn over how 'cute' it is might make us seem more nurturing and/or easygoing than we actually are (assuming that the recipients are unaware). Given my general irritable personality, if I didn't have the fetish, I might have been the sort of person to say 'gross, stop it' that we all hate so much--but I still can't stand those people. Either way, it's definitely a break in my character to get all sweet and coddling when someone sneezes or gets sick, but is that wholly from the fetish or do I secretly hide a nurturing personality?

Obviously I can't really picture what it's like not to have the fetish, but it's strange how much of our lives it affects--or maybe it has less of an affect than we think. It's impossible to tell.

[HarleyQuinnSFF]

I can't imagine. I am such a germophobe that honestly, it would gross me out to an extent but I have no idea. before my husband found out about the fetish back when we were just teenagers he would actually very often talk about sneezing and how cute my sneezes were and he doesn't have the fetish (he loves mine now and loves sneezing but I still wouldn't call it a fetish) but hes also a bit of an odd duck so its hard to say how other people view it. I would say the majority view it as gross though. Awesome topic, btw!

[Hissybella]

Whoa. Really nice topic. I've had deep thoughts about the fetish but not these deep thoughts. I, too, agree that this fetish completely changes us.

I can't imagine myself without it.

Either way, it's definitely a break in my character to get all sweet and coddling when someone sneezes or gets sick, but is that wholly from the fetish or do I secretly hide a nurturing personality?

That.

That is a good question.

I've wondered things on that line too. like if I'm Biromantic Asexual with a fetish to replace my lack of attraction or if I'm actually Bisexual but have a true actual fetish in which I cannot be aroused/attracted to people without it.

Who am I? What am I?

The more I think about it, the more it seems that the fetish becomes us.

[Satan]

Well, if they find it cute, gross etc really varies from person to person

Though im pretty sure they react to it just like we do to other non fetishy bodily functions like coughing or yawning, maybe they'll acknowledge sneezing by blessing the person but that's pretty much it i guess

[Hissybella]

guys.

What if we're normal?

[squealofapproval]

My girlfriend calls mine cute. Like OMG what shut up that's not true. She doesn't have a sneeze fetish- hers is for fingers, but I used to sense she had a thing for noseblowing because she'd be so shy whenever she or I did it. But she doesn't. Either that or she'd think she stole my fetish thunder. Nah, that's probably not true. I think yawns are cute, but I wouldn't have a fetish for them.

[FreeFluShots]

I can't imagine any non-fetishist doing that actually, but obviously some people do since he doesn't have the fetish and he did it to you. In my experience, most people react to sneezing either like "gross" or like "not even going to acknowledge it", though I think most people would be grossed out by someone stifling (or sneezing) on them. I on the other hand would have sided with you, haha.

[Psyneezy]

I think we're just more attuned to sneezing... I know like when I hear a sneeze from another room or far away I will still acknowledge it.. probably wouldn't comment, because I'm assuming no one else would even notice it to know what I'm talking about..

I feel like most people might hear a sneeze, but it's not an incident that would even remain in their mind for more than the time they're hearing it for.

As for a huge fit or something, it does seem people are still quite amazed by them (or disgusted depending on the person) but maybe for different reasons to us...

i feel like when someone sneezes around someone without the fetish, it wouldn't stick in the mind..It'd be like if someone *insert example that I can't think of right now* around us!

[Jemmabean]

Psyneezy - How about yawned or hiccuped?

I've given this some thought myself and I tend to think that most people just don't remark much on sneezing, except for the germophobic ones, who see it as a sign of illness and tend to get freaked out, disgusted or annoyed, especially if someone sneezed on them. The case of your boyfriend stifling into your back is an interesting one, and I'd wager that he did so because he's very comfortable with you, and reasonably sure that it wouldn't freak/gross you out.

That having been said, there are lots of non-fetishists who do react to sneezing as more than a non-event, but there's many reasons they might do so. They might be the caring, inquisitive type who wants to know if you're getting sick or allergic to something, they might be allergic or sick themselves and want to commiserate with you, or they might just have been brought up in a home where a sneeze was viewed as an event, like say they were taught to always say bless you or gesundheit when someone sneezed, and it's reflexive for them.

I've seen situations where numerous people were witness to a prolonged sneezing fit - I think I even wrote an obs about it back in 2007 sometime, lol - and their reactions varied widely. Some people paid it no real mind, but others were curious and/or sympathetic to the woman doing the sneezing. A couple of people asked her what was making her sneeze so much, and offered sympathy when she explained that she was allergic to dust and always sneezed like this when it got stirred up around her.

So in conclusion, I think that there are many ways non-fetishists can react to a single sneeze, though most of them tend to view just one as a non-event; however, a fit is much more likely to draw some kind of attention, usually a combination of sympathy and curiosity - but that's all just anecdotal.

[count tiszula]

The thing to remember is that muggles don't even notice sneezes, including their own. In a way they notice yawns and hiccoughs far more because they indicate specific causes and tend to disrupt conversation, while most muggles talk through a sneeze or even a group of sneezes. In non-blessing countries like the UK, they just ignore even quite extended fits, possibly thinking it impolite to acknowledge them.

I remember being in a pub with two old friends. One announced twice and then went into a prolonged violent fit. I was really enjoying it, but the other friend seemed positively bewildered by it. Clearly he had no recollection of her ever sneezing before, despite having known her for at least a decade during which such fits had been frequent. If you ever get into sneezy talk with such a person, you will find they can't remember anyone's manner of sneezing , however elaborate.

However this is all good news, as it means that if you are ever foolish enough to reveal your interest to someone you are not in a trusting relationship with, they will forget it in a few years at maximum. In fact your most intimate lover will forget, however many other things they remember.

[Firebrand]

guys.

What if we're normal?

I... I never considered this. But it makes sense!

[squealofapproval]

Wait... People in the UK don't bless each other? I was under the impression they did.

[cally]

Wait... People in the UK don't bless each other? I was under the impression they did.

I think it depends on the person. I live in the UK, but I am not from here and I do. A lot of people I know that are from here do as well. Idk.

[AdrianMarx]

Wait... People in the UK don't bless each other? I was under the impression they did.

I was always taught to bless people but, when blessing strangers, they tend to react like I've grown a second head. Especially in London where apparently you're not supposed to speak on the tube so blessing a stranger there was perhaps not the wisest decision I've ever made.

[count tiszula]

Sorry, I should have said something like "in countries where blessing is optional at best and regarded as strange if used on complete strangers". But things were getting long and frankly there are many more details not covered by that summary.

[squealofapproval]

Sorry, I should have said something like "in countries where blessing is optional at best and regarded as strange if used on complete strangers". But things were getting long and frankly there are many more details not covered by that summary.

I should have been born in the UK, because I only bless the people who are in a relationship with me.

[Naraya]

I actually ended up telling my husband, and without a doubt it was the best decision I have made. He was silent for a moment then smiled and said 'okay, I can totally work with this'. He works on offshore drilling platforms and is always coming down with colds (and is currently afflicted, albeit 500+ miles away from me, right now)

We took our toddler to a fair last time he was home, and whilst stood in a queue waiting for an attraction he suddenly, randomly, sneezed. In that split second he became aware of it, he was actually able to do it against my chest - discreetly may I add (nobody else seemed aware of anything at all) as though he had just moved in for a cuddle. I still go warm and mushy thinking about it now!