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alhamdullilah -> RE: 2 types of treatment of slaves - both in their best interest (6/12/2010 8:57:11 PM)
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I suspect I may be misunderstanding you. I'm wanting to ask, though, whether you really think there is no value in deeming these preferences to be a lifestyle choice? Not all "ordinary people" would find your inclinations even appropriate, I believe. Moreover, I'm inclined to think that establishing a preference, sexual or otherwise that is all encompassing of one's manner of living and relating (if only to their partner or partners) is a means toward legitimizing it, discouraging ideally the impression not uncommon among "ordinary people" that it is merely perversion. What is perversion, afterall, if not an aberrancy in attitude or action in relation to the social norms?
I can see another side to that but will resort simply to saying that I personally like calling it a lifestyle, though not to include assertions that there is but one approach to the lifestyle that is right, genuine or ethical, nor the endless tediousness of nibbling away at the details in a feeble attempt to define every aspect and application. I just think it's great that what works for religion works well here, too, in that there are various denominations, so to speak. Let the Goreans be Gorean. Let the submissives identify as slave rather than sub or vice versa. Let some live the "D/s lifestyle", others the "M/s lifestyle", associate as "BDSM", "Leather" or "Old Guard" and let them distinguish themselves from "ordinary people", particular to their own congregation online, offline or in their minds... because by and large people are drawn to group affiliation. Not wholly parted from our tendency to exalt the individual, in the U.S. at least, we compartmentalize every element of our existence - from politics to religion to sexual preference right to the consumption of food. It's just what we do and we like doing it.
Honestly, I think that the more extreme or removed from socially acceptable relationship patterns, the more encompassing one's fetishes or preferences, the more inclined is that individual to seek to lable or differentiate their lifestyle choices. If all one is really into is a little sexually motivated spanking and gender based division of labor, he/she really doesn't stray very far from "ordinary", in my opinion. Even as relates to the splitting hair debates that seem to inundate the forums, isn't that just a whole lot of philosophizing, a pass-time that rarely if ever resolves anything but, above all, differentiates us best from all other creatures?! And obviously, I for one enjoy it immensely because that's the sum total of what I've posted here, resolving nothing, but distinguishing myself among others who may either disagree or lack the capacity or inclination to consider what I've attempted to express... long-windedly, no less!
Just my humble M/s more than D/s, slave more than sub, carnivore rather than vegetarian, liberal, bisexual thoughts on a matter that may not matter a bit but thoroughly interests me. :)
Gratefully,
llilah
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