I think this is really a just communication thing: I’m with someone that says “do what you want”, and I’ll say it myself too, but we’ve been together long enough that there’s an implicit understanding of what that phrase means.

The point is that it’s a turn on to feel desired, even more so when you can just “give up control” and they’ll still do something you like. My experience is that the whole “do what you want” thing isn’t something you say to turn on your partner so much as yourself. Specifically, when I say it, it’s a way of communicating what I want (because of the mutual understanding of what it means) while keeping the pretense that I’m giving up all control (which turns me on). Likewise, when my partner says it, I know what she wants me to do, but keeping the pretense that I’m in complete control is a turn on for both of us.

Of course, this kind of mutual understanding has been built up over time, and I wouldn’t recommend communicating like this in a fresh relationship or one night stand.

You’ve never been with a woman that taught you what it feels like to be pressured for another round when you just don’t have anymore in you?

You should try it sometime, it might teach you something about women’s libido.

Years ago, I would have immediately recognised this as an Onion article. Today, I have to admit that I didn’t recognise it before clicking on the link and seeing the page.

At this point it seems like they’re just throwing around asterisks for ragebait. The algorithm probably figured out that posts containing an asterisk get more engagement, so now they pretty much have to throw it in there to get attention. It’s annoying…

I was maybe a bit rough when saying “beginner”, I’m probably should have said “people with little outdoor-climbing experience”, sorry about that.

But, if you care what others at the gym think (you shouldn’t, just let your climbing speak for itself), it’s definitely a thing that people with their chalk bag attached to their harness with a carabiner (even worse, a safety carabiner), are quickly assumed to be beginners. At least it looks like they’ve done little or no outdoor climbing. But again: Don’t give a shit what people think, just have fun climbing :)

To the contrary: You can sometimes recognise beginners by observing that they have their chalk bag attached to their harness with a carabiner. Usually, you attach the chalk bag with a strap around your waist. The harness is reserved for protection gear (nuts, cams, etc.)

This guy is Alex Honnold, famous for free soloing (climbing without a rope). He has a movie called “Free Solo” where he solos El Capitan, it’s a good movie if you’re interested :)