If both these constituent elements occur together,—the abnormally intensified impulse to a violent reaction toward the object of the stimulus, and the abnormally intensified desire to conquer the woman,—then the most violent outbreaks of sadism occur.
Sadism is thus nothing else than an excessive and monstrous pathological intensification of phenomena,—possible, too, in normal conditions in rudimental forms,—which accompany the psychical vita sexualis, particularly in males. It is, of course, not at all necessary, and not even the rule, that the sadistic individual should be conscious of his instinct. What he feels is, as a rule, only the impulse to cruel and violent treatment of the opposite sex, and the coloring of the idea of such acts with lustful feelings. Thus arises a powerful impulse to commit the imagined deeds. When the actual motive of this instinct is not comprehended by the individual, the sadistic acts have the character of impulsive deeds.
When the association of lust and cruelty is present, not only does the lustful emotion awaken the impulse to cruelty, but _vice versâ_; cruel ideas and acts cause sexual excitement, and in this way are used by perverse individuals.[49]
A differentiation of original and acquired cases of sadism is scarcely possible. Many individuals, tainted _ab origine_, for a long time do everything to conquer the perverse instinct. If they are potent, at first they are able to lead a normal vita sexualis, often with the assistance of subjective ideas of a perverse nature. Later, after the opposing motives of an ethical and æsthetic kind have been gradually overcome, and after the constantly repeated experience that the natural act does not bring complete satisfaction, the abnormal instinct bursts forth. Owing to this late expression, in acts, of an originally perverse disposition, the appearances are those of an acquired perversion. As a rule, it may be safely assumed that this psychopathic state exists _ab origine_.
Sadistic acts vary in monstrousness with variation in the power of the perverse instinct over the individual afflicted, and with variation in the strength of opposing ideas that may be present, which almost always are more or less weakened by original ethical defect, hereditary degeneracy, or moral insanity. Thus there arises a long series of forms which begins with capital crime and ends with silly acts which afford the perverse desires of the sadistic individual merely symbolic satisfaction.