Quote Originally Posted by duktig flicka
I would be very surprised if it causes you any distress, humiliation, self-doubt, attack to your personality or sacrifice of something meaningful in your life.
Thats a rather unfair statement. Would I say its cause life altering of any of those? Absolutely not. That specific example HAS caused many of those. First off admitting it publicly I found embarrassing but used it as example in a hope to help you. Caused me self-doubt I can't even FATHOM to explain to how that has happened nor would I be willing to do so publicly and endure more humiliation because of it. Attacks on my personality? absolutely more then once including to the point of the removal of an officers position in a local BDSM (so called community group) lets also touch on the public chastisement for it. Including the main reason I switched to this forum from another. So I would say your cross analogy is anywhere near fair.

Quote Originally Posted by duktig flicka
Most importantly, it's reciprocal. I'm sure she does equal things for you.
In this part your 101% correct. It is reciprocal and also gratitude for the devoting she gives me. But its not something I have to do for her she would be just as devout if I didn't.


[QUOTE=duktig flicka]And onwards to the issue with why people choose to be submissive. You seem to imply that the only way a human mind can possibly be made to act against its nature is if society blatantly says they have to act in precisely one way. {/QUOTE]
How is being submissive acting against the nature of the human mind? It seems to me a rather common part of the human mind in nature and in people. My interpretation I would gather from your vantage point that acting as a submissive does in a 24/7 sense is "wrong" because its anti-feminist.


Quote Originally Posted by duktig flicka
there are hundreds of other psychological issues that could make a person enter into unhealthy situations.
This is a question not an attack.
Are you saying then by acting in the sense as we have discussed is unhealthy?

Quote Originally Posted by duktig flicka
Moreover, you seem to be ignoring how women definitely are socially conditioned and socially expected to be submissive.
I"m not ignoring this fact at all, but are you saying that all women are submissive are doing so only because of social programming? Women are socially programmed, Men are socially programmed. Consumers are socially programmed. I was actually parentally programmed to exist the nearly the exact opposite of the way I do. I don't ignore this at all

Quote Originally Posted by duktig flicka
Finally, in your last couple paragraphs, you appear to be stating that since I don't have irrefutable proof that there is a problem, this is itself proof that there must be none.
That was not my intention in those statement I apologize if you felt I meant it that way. I'm not qualified to make a broad based psychological judgment if there is or is not a problem. What I simple mean to say is, just because you or I can qualify foundational proof that BDSM is "damaging" or "harmful" or not does not make it wrong.

Quote Originally Posted by duktig flicka
I will never stop being concerned about my bdsm until I understand its psychological roots and the effect is has on both my and my dom's psyche. I have concern for others, too, but I will keep it to myself outside of this one request for understanding because I am in no position to poke into others' affairs - especially when I'm so far from understanding them. As I tried to communicate (though probably failed) in the original post, I am trying to understand this in part so I can alleviate that concern. Also, of course, because I just want to understand bdsm and things in general.
I took your understanding of your original posting to be more of a broad question of the "why", not a specific application of it to your own psyche. Nor would I be inclined to stem to believe myself capable of even stating a general conclusion as to where your psychological roots lay when it comes to BDSM or as to its effect on either yours or your doms psyche. I'm not qualified to make that type of judgment. I do however understand the general subject matter of why certain people including myself prefer a 24/7 existance in the lifestyle as opposed just doing specific kink in the bedroom to get each other off.

Quote Originally Posted by duktig flicka
All the arguing aside, I do appreciate your recognition of my lifestyle. I'm starting to feel like I'm just not good enough because I'm not submissive enough to some people in various bdsm communities.
The only offering I can bring to your own understand is my personal unprofessional view that there is NOTHING wrong with NOT being 24/7 nor does it make you any less of a submissive. I can also offer you links to 3 doctoral thesis on the topic of the possible perceived and analyzed view points of the foundation BDSM Dominants and submissive's.

I'm not an armchair general on this topic. I've lived the lifestyle for 1/3 of my life I have read and educated myself to a level above average of those in the lifestyle and am pursuing my own Masters in psychology and hopefully my doctorate in health education specializing in human sexuality.