Approach

Personal Philosophy part three

OK, this is the last bit (promise). I have had a couple of personal comments so far, from Masters and slaves, saying that it is nice to see all of this written down, much of it chiming with their own thoughts and desires. There are guys out there who want a more structured, and one might say balanced, way to work in this scene, so if this contributes to those thoughts all the better.

A structured hierarchy
I am a firm believer in a structured hierarchy, in a sense that where it affects me I take a very deep interest, and where it does not it can be amusing to watch one develop. The old leather scene in the US grew out of returning servicemen of WW2 and hierarchy was very strict and important. These days much of this seems to have gone by the board and it is almost impossible to discern who is who and what is what on the scene any more. Personally I insist that my slaves look like slaves. They are all issued by me with a collar in a simple but binding ceremony. Once it is accepted then whenever that collar is worn that person is my boi. When I remove the collar the magic is broken. In this way there is a clear boundary between one lifestyle and another. As I am not a 24/7 Master and owner this boundary is terribly important in order to clarify when and where obedience is to be expected and service rendered.

At the top of the hierarchy is, of course, the Master and his word is law. It is actually a very simple power relationship. Beneath him is his slave whose role is that of service and obedience to the Master. In this sense then it is a fairly straightforward relationship, but there can quite easily be added complications. The first is additional slaves. The Master may decide to appoint one of them his Alpha slave (see below) or may just allow them to serve him without formal intervention. An informal hierarchy may form beneath the Master which can be amusing to watch as they compete for attention. This, in my view, should be encouraged as slaves need goals and ambitions, and the ambition to be noticed by the Master, possibly singled out for special favour, should be high on the agenda in any group play.

The Master may decide to single out a slave and make him the Alpha slave. This may be a temporary appointment for a single session, or a long-term appointment. In a single session I often find it interesting to make slaves compete for the role of Alpha, as such a post signifies preferment by the Master. If the appointment is long term then the decision has to be more serious, the Alpha being the NCO to the Master’s officer.

Another complication is that of other Masters and other Slaves at social gatherings. Other Masters should be treated with respect and deference, but orders should not be accepted from them without permission from the Slave’s own Master. This provides a safety valve for the slave and returns us to the Responsibility rule that should always be in a Master’s head. It goes without saying that Masters should behave with respect towards another Master’s property. Among Masters there should be a pares inter pares relationship and you should never, ever, interfere with a Master and his slaves unless requested to do so by him.

Between slaves, well, this can lead to all sorts of problems and needs to be watched. I insist on dignity and responsible behaviour at all times: no slave associated with me is going to go around disporting themselves in a manner putting me, his Alpha or his stable into disrepute. The Alpha in particular, where there is one, has to watch this and lead by example.

Punishments and Discipline
Although they sound similar the two are, in my book, radically different. A punishment is meted out to a slave for some infraction or other. It may be relatively minor (no more fags for you, boi) to pretty major. In the both cases it may be physical pain (from short spanking to lash, tawse, cane) or it may be mental, the most damaging being ignoring the slave for a set amount of time only known to the Master. But these are generally transient episodes based on infringement of pre-set rules.

Discipline is long term and has nothing to do with infringements of rules. Rather it is to do with the imposition of rules and the acceptance of them in a role setting environment. Sometimes they may be transitory in order to get the slave into a certain mindset: being tied up for an hour often has a wonderful and salutary effect upon how a slave begins to appreciate his place in the world. In other cases they are regulatory, rationing cigarettes, alcohol or trips to the lavatory. Etiquette helps too, making sure that a slave addresses you correctly or walks in the right place, correcting his mistakes either through words or punishments, until they begin to do things automatically and without thinking. At West Point cadets used to have to walk at right angles to walls, never diagonally, and similar approaches to discipline can often work on a slave.

What is it all for?
The simple answer is happiness rather than pleasure. If you want pleasure have a blow job, or get fucked by a big leather top. It is nothing to do with a Master/slave scene except as an erotic fantasy. A true slave derives happiness from his role, that of providing service to his Master and being useful to him, responding to every request with unthinking obedience and reveling in it. For a Master having a boi at your beck and call sounds cool, but it can be a struggle fighting against your natural desire for independence: remember everything you do for yourself that could be equally well done by the boi robs him of an opportunity to serve. This awareness is useful and necessary.

For a Master the rewards seem more immediate, but can also be more subtle, a desire to be served should not be confused with a desire to dominate. A Master is, of course, dominant, but that is not the end of his role: he is not enforcing service through his dominance, service is given willingly. He must take pleasure in power, its exercise and restraint, and the desire to be served: that is his happiness.

M