quote:

ORIGINAL: Crouchingtiger77

I ask this question because on this site, as well as on fetlife and on b.com
there are times where it seems a Submissive defines themself more as a slave
than a submissive then there are slaves who define selves more as subs than
slaves.

I hope this can lead to good conversation.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Crouchingtiger77

I ask this question because on this site, as well as on fetlife and on b.com
there are times where it seems a Submissive defines themself more as a slave
than a submissive then there are slaves who define selves more as subs than
slaves.

I hope this can lead to good conversation.

quote:

ORIGINAL: mistermaid

I certainly don't believe anyone in their right mind would choose to live as a slave. Fantasy is one thing but reality is totally different. As yourself one simple question. Your 30 years old, male or female doesn't matter, your Jewish, It's 1942 and your just walking through the gates of Bergan Belsen concentration camp.. That's real slavery, so yes there is a difference, were all submissive, and god forbid we ever become real slaves.

quote:

ORIGINAL: TheCabal

How about we start with the dictionary definition? "Submissive" is an adjective that describes someone's personality. "Slave" is a noun referring to a human being that someone else has a 'property interest' in.

A lot of people here think that a slave is a submissive, only more so. That's not really true. A submissive is always submissive because that is their nature. A slave can actually be quite dominant. They must obey their owner, but need not obey anyone else. There is something called an 'Alpha Slave' who serves their owner as something like 'middle management' - keeping lower-order slaves in line.

quote:

ORIGINAL: seekingOwnertoo

quote:

ORIGINAL: TheCabal

How about we start with the dictionary definition? "Submissive" is an adjective that describes someone's personality. "Slave" is a noun referring to a human being that someone else has a 'property interest' in.

A lot of people here think that a slave is a submissive, only more so. That's not really true. A submissive is always submissive because that is their nature. A slave can actually be quite dominant. They must obey their owner, but need not obey anyone else. There is something called an 'Alpha Slave' who serves their owner as something like 'middle management' - keeping lower-order slaves in line.

Your right ... when applying Dictionary Definition and Classical History.

Yet I believe the OP is asking about Profiles here and elsewhere on BDSM sites ...

Typically, they don't use dictionary definitions.

quote:

ORIGINAL: TheCabal

How about we start with the dictionary definition? "Submissive" is an adjective that describes someone's personality. "Slave" is a noun referring to a human being that someone else has a 'property interest' in.

quote:

A lot of people here think that a slave is a submissive, only more so. That's not really true. A submissive is always submissive because that is their nature. A slave can actually be quite dominant. They must obey their owner, but need not obey anyone else. There is something called an 'Alpha Slave' who serves their owner as something like 'middle management' - keeping lower-order slaves in line.

quote:

ORIGINAL: seekingreality

quote:

ORIGINAL: TheCabal

How about we start with the dictionary definition? "Submissive" is an adjective that describes someone's personality. "Slave" is a noun referring to a human being that someone else has a 'property interest' in.

The word "Submissive" is both a noun and an adjective. When someone says, "I am a submissive" they are using it as a noun. And there are certainly submissives who consider themselves to be their master's or mistress's property.

"Slave" is both a noun and a verb. When people use it as a noun, "I am slave," they often consider that to be a description of their personality. So the divisions you are drawing aren't really things people use in the real world (BDSM wise).

quote:

A lot of people here think that a slave is a submissive, only more so. That's not really true. A submissive is always submissive because that is their nature. A slave can actually be quite dominant. They must obey their owner, but need not obey anyone else. There is something called an 'Alpha Slave' who serves their owner as something like 'middle management' - keeping lower-order slaves in line.

No offense, but the above is simply your unique way of looking at these two words. Ask 10 other people and they'll give you 10 other definitions. So I have no trouble if tell me you are only speaking for yourself; if you believe you are speaking for everyone, you're dead wrong.

For example, the notion that "A submissive is always submissive because that is their nature" doesn't ring true to me.

It's like people who throw around the phrase "true submissive" or "true dominant." That's just a way of saying, "The way I view things is the way everyone should view things, and people who disagree with me are wrong."

quote:

ORIGINAL: TheCabal


If we're ever going to make sense of the difference between 'submissive' and 'slave' then we have to start with coming to some sort of agreement as to what the terms really mean. If the meanings of the words depend on the individual using them, there's no point in having this discussion in the first place, because then the differences between the words depend on the individuals using them.

quote:

ORIGINAL: domincalifornia

quote:

ORIGINAL: TheCabal


If we're ever going to make sense of the difference between 'submissive' and 'slave' then we have to start with coming to some sort of agreement as to what the terms really mean. If the meanings of the words depend on the individual using them, there's no point in having this discussion in the first place, because then the differences between the words depend on the individuals using them.

Personally, I don't get worked up trying to hang one-size-fits-all labels on people. I don't care if someone labels themselves as slave or submissive. Either way, I have a general sense of their leanings, and then it's just a matter of finding out about the person. Because once you start thinking of someone as an individual, rather than as a label, the label doesn't matter anymore. Cause believe me -- no matter what definition you come up with for submissive or slave, it won't capture the nuances of any specific person.

quote:

ORIGINAL: TheCabal

How about we start with the dictionary definition? "Submissive" is an adjective that describes someone's personality. "Slave" is a noun referring to a human being that someone else has a 'property interest' in.

A lot of people here think that a slave is a submissive, only more so. That's not really true. A submissive is always submissive because that is their nature. A slave can actually be quite dominant. They must obey their owner, but need not obey anyone else. There is something called an 'Alpha Slave' who serves their owner as something like 'middle management' - keeping lower-order slaves in line.

quote:

ORIGINAL: orgasmdenial12

quote:

ORIGINAL: TheCabal

How about we start with the dictionary definition? "Submissive" is an adjective that describes someone's personality. "Slave" is a noun referring to a human being that someone else has a 'property interest' in.

A lot of people here think that a slave is a submissive, only more so. That's not really true. A submissive is always submissive because that is their nature. A slave can actually be quite dominant. They must obey their owner, but need not obey anyone else. There is something called an 'Alpha Slave' who serves their owner as something like 'middle management' - keeping lower-order slaves in line.

Submissive is often used to describe a role - i.e. 'I'm a submissive'. Myself and many other submissives do not have a submissive style personality, but we choose to accept that role in relationships. I have never met anyone who was *always* submissive, just as I have never met anyone who was always dominant. People adopt a range of personality styles depending on the situation.