fetish, psychologyI know there are countless fetishes, and I’m not looking for a specific cause for each and every type of fetish out there. I’m more curious, in general, if a cause is known for fetishes?
Are they the result of some childhood trauma, which leads to a psychological need that one tries to fill through the fetish? Or are they as benign and unpredictable as a favorite pizza topping?
Wikipedia says that "No cause for fetishism has been conclusively established," and that classical conditioning or sexual imprinting have been suggested as causes.
It is possible that some fetishes are created out of a traumatic event, but most people I've talked to say that they were just always interested in it, and felt that their fetish was not created, but discovered. We do not know the real cause of fetishes, but most people treat them simply as a personal interest and are not negatively impacted by them.
(Copied from my original answer here, which I will edit to focus specifically on whether fetishes are actively dysfunctional)
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