On Being Gorean

To understand this lifestyle, you need to know a little about Gor. Imagine if you will, a planet where the men are strong and honorable. In effect is a political system that identifies them as Masters and Owners and female slavery is the way of life. Gor, also known as the Counter-Earth, came to life in 1967 through a series of 25 fictional books written by John Norman. Gor travels on the same orbit as earth, on the opposite side of the sun. John Norman, aka John Frederick Lange Jr., has a Ph.D. in Philosophy and really makes the reader stop and explore the true nature of themselves. Even today his work is regarded as controversial. Much of his writing has been censored and banned periodically throughout his lengthy career. The Chronicles of Gor conveys certain philosophies that speak to the inner beings of some in the BDSM lifestyle. It characterizes a different way of life with subtle differences between Gor and Earth. The books speak frequently on the need for truth and honor among men.

In Explorers of Gor , Tarl Cabot asks, "Why can truth not be the foundation of culture, rather than its nemesis? Can one not build upon the stone cliffs of reality rather than dash one's head against them?" Goreans are very concerned with truth and honor, self-honesty being a core belief of the philosophy. Honor means everything to a Gorean Master in the same manner it did during the era of the Knights of the Round Table. It is a code of conduct; it is the measure by which men are judged. To a Gorean warrior, personal traits such as courage, determination, and honesty are highly valued and considered honorable. One of the greatest and most important points of personal Honor is a person's word; a person's word and pledge is quite literally his word of Honor. Honor also means being true to self, beliefs and convictions, to live the path they choose, not just walk it. To most Goreans it is about discovering yourself and being the best you can be at who and what you are. Another aspect of honor is respect. This is exactly what Gor is really about. Gor is about life and experiencing it to the fullest. It is about being true to who you are within. Gor is about the glorification of gender. Todays’ society tries to minimize the differences between genders, where Gor separates and develops them. Not just the physical differences but the mental and emotional differences as well.

Gor vs. BDSM has been a topic of heated debate for a long time now. Neither is better then the other, they are just different, each with their own set of beliefs and standards. BDSM is an alternative relationship in which the Dom controls the actions of the submissive, though the submissive retains a certain amount of control. Gorean slaves maintain no such control. All power is handed over to the Master. (While it is understood that there are female Mistress's and Dominant's this is being written from a Master/slave context to make things simpler.) In the book Different Loving , Gloria G. Brame states "submission is a turning away from the social and a penetration into a sacrosanct internal space." Because the submissive is making a conscious choice to submit to a Dominant, their relationship is often called a power exchange. A Dom is the protector, teacher, and lover to the sub. The Dom and submissive are dependent upon each other to satisfy their own needs. Trust and communication are two of the most important things that both a BDSM and a Gorean relationship share. Gor, on the other hand, takes things a step farther. The Master controls not only the actions of his slave, but her very life as well. The Master also takes full responsibility for his slave’s actions. The Gorean Master considers his slave his most valued possessions. When a Gorean Master takes a slave into his collar, he becomes her life. He not only cares for her physical needs, but her emotional, and spiritual needs as well. The Master knows he must nurture, provide day-to-day care and maintenance, and constantly watch and monitor his slave so they might know the mind of their property. He also tends to be more protective of her as she is completely dependent upon him. The Gorean Master owns the whole slave. The slaves heart, mind, body and soul belong to the Master, as his will is now hers. He controls all of her. Her very thoughts belong to him, by this Gorean method. In some BDSM Master/slave relationships a contract is put in place that indicates a specific duration of time of service and sets the boundaries of each participants role. While this is a common practice in the BDSM sector, it is not so within the Gorean lifestyle. There are Master/slave contracts written up specifically with the Gorean Master in mind that sets the ground rules of a girls slavery and may list the assets she transfers to her Masters safe-keeping as a Gorean slave does not own anything.

Being a Gorean Master is far more complex than simply finding your pleasure in a slave. A Gorean Master is in control, guiding and caring for the slave 24/7 as she is in your control at all times. In a BDSM relationship, the control, for the most part, is not as strict and the submissive does not give her very life to the Master. It is not the simple issuing of orders and watching them as they are carried out. Anyone can snap an order for coffee and eggs. It means knowing the slave, and knowing when to push so that the slave either moves to a new place in her slavery or learns something new about who she is. It also means knowing when to stand back and give the slave time to examine the lessons that you have taught. It is a deep bond for the slave gives her life to the Master out of trust. In accepting this slave, the Master has taken on the awesome responsibility to nurture her and help her to grow, not only as a slave, but as a person as well. In Tribesman of Gor it states that "it is not uncommon for Masters to pride themselves on the depth with which they know their slave girls; this depth is far greater in my opinion than that with which the average husband knows his wife; the slave girl is not simply someone with whom the man lives; she is very special to him; she is a treasured possession; he owns her; he wants to know profoundly and deeply, the background, history, the mind, the intelligence, the appetites, the nature and dispositions of his lovely article of property; this knowledge, of course, puts her more at his mercy; by making it possible for him to manipulate her feelings, exploit weaknesses, drop asides, etc., she in the helpless condition of slavery, it gives him greater power over her".

"The ultimate freedom can be found in slavery, for what more freedom can one have then lack of responsibility? The only responsibility of a kajira is to see that a frown never crosses her Masters lips. She has full faith and trust that he will take care of the rest."

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