Tirisilex Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 I was just wondering what are the differences between Celibacy and Asexuality. My Understanding is that a Celibate person still finds people sexually attractive.. Do they still masturbate? As for me I know I'm Asexual sex-repulsed and I do not find people sexually attractive at all.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cnyb Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 If Celibacy is just obstaining from marriage and sexual relations, then a lot of people are celibate, happily or otherwise, settling or otherwise, some with success and some with some failures and reboots. One may be inactive in terms of marrying and sexual relations with partners, for whatever reasons, regardless of orientation, sex drive, high or low libido, sexual attractions to this or that type of person, etc. IMO, Asexuality and Sexuality are more of directions one can go towards (because human beings are members of a sexual species and have sexual hormones etc but are neither mindlessly sexual nor preoccupied with sex all the time either), and an Asexual orientation indicates one has a certain tendency, a direction they tend towards, that is away from sex. One can more or less tend away from sexuality so that they don't identify with sexual orientation(s). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
squaggly Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Celibate can want sex but can't have Asexual can have but *usually* doesn't want Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Purple Wanderer Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Celibacy is a choice 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andiamo Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Asexuality is a sexual orientation (not experiencing sexual attraction) while celibacy is choosing not to have sex. A person can be ace and still have sex, and a person can be celibate but still be sexually attracted to people. Just because it's more fun to use metaphors, here's a metaphor: Imagine a cookie. A celibate person may really want to eat the cookie but won't eat it. An asexual person has no particular desire to eat the cookie at all. 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tirisilex Posted February 28, 2018 Author Share Posted February 28, 2018 1 minute ago, Andiamo said: Asexuality is a sexual orientation (not experiencing sexual attraction) while celibacy is choosing not to have sex. A person can be ace and still have sex, and a person can be celibate but still be sexually attracted to people. Just because it's more fun to use metaphors, here's a metaphor: Imagine a cookie. A celibate person may really want to eat the cookie but won't eat it. An asexual person has no particular desire to eat the cookie at all. That's what I had thought 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
everywhere and nowhere Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 Celibacy is a behavior, asexuality is an orientation. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gldlynch Posted March 3, 2018 Share Posted March 3, 2018 Celibacy is decision, asexuality is not. Celibacy is a choice where people choose not to have sex, it’s inside of our conscious thought process. It is often influenced by external scenarios such as religion. Asexuality is not a choice, we are wired differently and experience a lack of sexual attraction. People who abstain from sex are still capable of feeling sexually attracted to others, are capable of feeling horny and turned on. For people who are asexual, this feeling is naturally absent. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hermit Advocate Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 A celibate person: I want sex but am denying myself from having it. An asexual person: I don't want sex so I'm just going to eat some cake. I like cake. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
everywhere and nowhere Posted March 5, 2018 Share Posted March 5, 2018 No, a celibate person doesn't have to "deny" themself sex. They can, but people who are not having sex because they just aren't interested are celibate too. For me the only difference that counts is that celibacy is a behavior. Which is also why the term doesn't necessarily imply anything about a person's reasons for not having sex. On the contrary, asexuality is an identity and it doesn't by itself imply anything about such a person's sexual behavior - lots of aces are celibate, but some decide to have sex for their partner's sake or, for example, don't fully realise that not having sex is an option. PS. I'm very much against the "born this way" rhetoric (as I have repeatedly said), I believe non-inborn identities deserve respect as well and I believe that choice - free will! - is a positive thing. Which is why it kinda bothers me when "it's not a choice" is presented as supposedly a very positive thing. And another reason to believe that renewed acceptability of celibacy - since it can and should be an expression of an individual's sexual agency - will do more good than "AVEN" only. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tirisilex Posted March 5, 2018 Author Share Posted March 5, 2018 15 hours ago, Nowhere Girl said: No, a celibate person doesn't have to "deny" themself sex. They can, but people who are not having sex because they just aren't interested are celibate too. For me the only difference that counts is that celibacy is a behavior. Which is also why the term doesn't necessarily imply anything about a person's reasons for not having sex. On the contrary, asexuality is an identity and it doesn't by itself imply anything about such a person's sexual behavior - lots of aces are celibate, but some decide to have sex for their partner's sake or, for example, don't fully realise that not having sex is an option. PS. I'm very much against the "born this way" rhetoric (as I have repeatedly said), I believe non-inborn identities deserve respect as well and I believe that choice - free will! - is a positive thing. Which is why it kinda bothers me when "it's not a choice" is presented as supposedly a very positive thing. And another reason to believe that renewed acceptability of celibacy - since it can and should be an expression of an individual's sexual agency - will do more good than "AVEN" only. I wasnt born with Asexuality. I just grew into it.. Lost sexual attraction and my desire for sex at around age of 32 I'm 44 now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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