Sorry to 'butt in' here, (and while I cannot speak for anyone other than myself) but speaking as someone that absolutely loves spicy food (and at one point would pop habanero peppers... not like candy, but on a semi-regular basis), it can really make one feel alive, and to have that sensation in your mouth. That tingling, that HEAT! But yes, the hotter one goes beyond one's tolerance, the less one actually TASTES the peppers.

From a biological/chemical standpoint, the spice in hotter foods is, essentially, a pain reflex. Capsaicin makes your brain to release chemicals that make some people feel... well... buzzed, or high. And as a response, the brain releases endorphins and dopamine, making one feel... well... good.

It's why that 7th spicy chicken wing goes down a lot easier than the first one.

That's a very good way of putting it.

It's just that long-term over-consumption of spicier peppers can actually break down the special mucous membrane in one's stomach, and cause bad heartburn, ulcers, and acid reflux.

But that's for those people that chase those 'feel-good' highs with spice. Habaneros are my limit, and the ones that I can still eat and enjoy the taste of... but even then, sometimes I remove the seeds.

My 'eating purely to experience the thrill of spice' days are long behind me, and it is merely culinary curiosity that will cause me to try a new spicy pepper or dish if I can get ahold of it.