In this Wolves and Dragons episode, Fenrir the Black Wolf descends into emotional masochism—the strange human tendency to circle pain like it’s home. It starts with a disturbing question: why do some criminals leave clues as if they want to be caught, judged, and condemned? From there, Fenrir links judgment to shame, guilt, and the relief that comes when the outer world finally matches the inner verdict. The episode explores how emotional masochism shows up in relationships through repetition compulsion, transference, attachment wounds, and core beliefs like “I don’t deserve real love,” creating a pull toward partners who recreate familiar hurt. Fenrir breaks down the “drug” effect—intermittent reinforcement, trauma bonds, and the slot-machine nature of inconsistent affection—then turns to the darker implication: how cruelty to self can leak into cruelty to others when the inner critic becomes a lifestyle. Kobe Bryant’s Black Mamba becomes a case study in alchemizing rejection into identity, and impostor syndrome is framed as socially acceptable self-punishment—success achieved while the inner voice still whispers “not good enough.” Finally, Fenrir ties it to the doppelgänger theme: the uncanny experience of watching yourself and not recognizing the person, revealing the split selves inside the same skull. The question isn’t “why do I suffer?” It’s “why does suffering sometimes feel like proof I’m real?”