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ORIGINAL: Lordandmaster

I believe the opposite.  The more capable a sub is, the more she can offer me.

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ORIGINAL: marie2

Personally, I'm very INdependent and so far it hasn't kept me from being submissive in a relationship.  I think a strong and self-reliant person can absolutely make an awesome sub for a dominant who wants those characteristics in a sub.  

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ORIGINAL: Aszhrae

In some of my statements I have found that what I am trying to say gets a little twisted in its interpretation. Perhaps its my own lack of education Sassy.
Not all sub/slaves are created equally.
I enjoy being told what I need to do and left alone to do them to the best of my ability. It does require a certain amount of independence and I most certainly don't need to stand over me to make sure that I do what was asked of me properly.
Being capable of independent thought, but needing to know what my dominant expects of me when it comes to task is what is desirable.
Certainly I am self-supportive but I much rather being contributing to making both my dominant and my own life better. I am not that selfish. I am much happier serving in the capacity to contribute to the whole.
Direction to doing a particular task. Guidance when I am having difficulty dealing with a situation. Having a dominant as my counsel. How is that any different than asking for insight from your friends or family members? If a dominant can't be bothered then such a dominant is the wrong dominant for me because then I feel the dominant doesn't care about my well-being. Why should I care about the dominant or even give them the respect they deserve.
This is what worries me about the independent question. If you are so independent, why the hell should I even have a dominant?

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just because a person is independent and can take care of themselves and their daily lives, it doesn't lessen the need and desire to submit, nor does it lessen their submission, it simply means they can and do see to their lives on their own when necessary. I do not believe that being strong and independent changes the core of a person. Part of my core is my being a submissive. I have a very strong need and desire to serve and my being independent and having others dependent on me hasn't changed that at all over the years. I have simply done what I had to do to see to those dependents and found that I can be both independent and very submissive. One doesn't take away from the other for me.

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independent, strong, self-reliant

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those kind submit deeply... under the right circumstances...

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ORIGINAL: myotherself

I can really only reply from my own perspective.  I'm independent - own home, car, career, friends, etc.  and yet I'm submissive to the right person.  I think my life experiences has made it difficult for me to submit to many people - I need my dom to be older and of a similar intellect, for example.  I've always had careers that could be viewed as 'high powered' and have good managers and bad managers.  The good ones tend to be older, intelligent, confident and thoughtful and they've always earned my respect and loyalty.  The bad managers tend to be younger, brash, impatient, valuing style over substance. They do not inspire respect, or anything much else apart from antipathy and irritation.
So my dom really needs to fit the 'good manager' bill that works for me.  I'm not trying to be age-ist or IQ-ist here, that's just the way it is for me. *shrugs*

I find it harder to give up my independence, even for a short time, to a dominant.  But when I do, the feeling of release and peace is almost overwhelming, which is why I do it.  As an independent woman at the beginning of a new relationship I struggle daily to hand over control of things that I think I can manage just fine.  But I perservere, and eventually the headspace works for me and I'm content.  It's hard work for the dominant too, but I hope that the rewards in the end are worth the struggle.

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ORIGINAL: Mercnbeth
perhaps for you and LuckyAlbatross it  is a myth, but it isn't for those of us who do have a "static" submissive personality type AND a preference to submit in the context of a relationship.

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ORIGINAL: Mercnbeth

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...I hope some of this brought others to think about the inaccuracies in applying their personal standards & preferences to others...

indeed, wise words we should ALL heed, don't you agree?

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It's like anything, any action perceived as not submissive or slavelike seems to disqualify one from being that.

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ORIGINAL: Venalismihi

they are the poor sods that not only have to carry their own lives but mine also. I would not be in their shoes for a pension.