I understand sadists are not a monolith & there's no single uniform opinion on these things - I'm just asking for the thoughts of individuals out of curiosity & maybe for inspiration. Also, when I say "hurt" here I mean specifically in a consensual, safe/risk-aware way.

When it comes to behaviour/personality, appearance, photos, conversation, flirting, or anything else applicable, what makes you think "I'd love to hurt this person (in a kinky way)"?

Do you only experience that feeling with people you already have a dynamic or relationship with, or do you also get it with people you don't yet know too well?

In an established dynamic or relationship, how might your sub/partner/masochist go about setting the scene in such a way as to make it almost impossible to resist the urge to hurt them?

I'd be interested to hear from other masochists about their perspective as well. I have a decent idea of what puts me in a masochistic headspace, but I'm curious as to how it works for others.