Why Can't I Tickle Myself?

People love tickling and being tickled

If a person tries to tickle themselves, nothing. Get another person to do so and it all changes. Why? It is the way we were designed. Imagine if every time we touched ourselves we got a ticklish sensation, it would make everyday activities difficult. So when we go to move, the body realises it is us and dampens the part of the brain that gives the ticklish sensation. When someone else touches us in a ticklish way, that part of the brain remains sensitive.

Tests have been done to try and trick the brain into allowing the ticklish sensation when we try to do it. So far they have been unable to do so. People can even start laughing before they have been tickled by another person approaching with that clear objective. Something about the brain reacting to other people seems the basis for ticklishness. The fact that experts are puzzled by it shows how amazing our brain is. We scarcely know anything about it. The design behind it is pure genius.