What is a masochist?

A masochist is someone who derives pleasure from experiencing pain, suffering, or humiliation. This term primarily pertains to psychological and sexual contexts where individuals may seek out situations that allow them to inflict pain on themselves or engage in activities that attract discomfort, often as a means of gaining gratification or emotional release.

In contrast, the other choices highlight different behaviors or characteristics that do not align with the definition of masochism. For example, avoiding conflict is associated with an aversion to confrontation and does not relate to finding pleasure in pain. Enjoying dangerous activities instead speaks to thrill-seeking behavior, which is not necessarily linked to pain in the same psychological sense. Helping others in pain is indicative of compassion and empathy, which does not reflect the self-directed nature of masochism. Thus, the accurate definition centers on the individual's relationship with pain and pleasure as described in the first option.