I don't understand how people do this, to be honest. Do you know how spicy food works? The receptor it triggers in your mouth is TRPV1, which does handle heat regulation and sensitivity, but it's also a pain receptor. Like, selectively removing it to treat the pain caused by bone cancer kind of receptor.

The kind of heat that sets it off is heat above 109F/43C, in addition to things like scorpion venom. Presumably it comes through as heat. Everyone tells me it feels hot. I don't get "heat." I get what is clearly agony in one of the most innervated areas of the body, and science backed me up on this.

Y'all are addicted to licking the curling iron and I'm the weird one

You're probably just sensitive to capsaicin. I love hot food, and it takes a lot for me to end up in agony like you described. But I've definitely been that guy at an Indian place where I'm sweating profusely while telling the staff the food is delicious.

Finding a hot sauce that tastes good/doesn't taste like hot garbage is harder than actually eating food seasoned with it.

I’m a chili head and I fucking hate hot sauce that’s just pain without flavor. I’ve also been the guy in a Thai restaurant that regretted “hottest” on their menu.

I think that’s why I tend to like carrot based hot sauces over vinegar. The carrot dulls the spiciness a bit and you get the flavor of the peppers more.

Carrot based hot sauce you say? I’m intrigued and will research on my own, but do you have a suggestion for a good tasting medium heat hot sauce that is carrot based?