An answer to a question posted on a board regarding the qualities of a Gorean.

The question was:  I do have a question for you and for all the Goreans out there. You speak of your master having "Gorean qualities." For those of us who are clueless of Gor, I wonder if you could expand on that a little. I'm still trying to understand the difference between Gorean and non Gorean masters and slaves.



Greets, everyone!

I thought I'd take a stab at this one from my own point of view which, of course, may differ from those who actually claim to be Gorean. My owner does not call himself Gorean, therefore I am not a Gorean slave. We have, however, spent a large part of the last 5 years in the company of those who do wear that mantle - offline.

There are several traits that people use to define what it is to be a Gorean man. I believe that these traits are not exclusive to those who claim to be Gorean but they are, in fact, traits that other men (including my owner) possess. They are as follows:

Honor, Integrity, Honesty, Masculinity, Respect (including self respect), Justice, Accountability, Responsibility, Courage, Ethics, Loyalty, Fidelity, Dignity, Faith, Probity, and Compassion.

One of the things that *may* make Gorean men different from other men with these qualities is that they also believe in what they refer to as the "Natural Order." This is explained by Goreans as men embracing the primal core of their masculinity and upholding their place as men (that being to be in control of his environment) and women embracing the primal core of their femininity and upholding their place as women (that being their role as helpmate, nurturer, and often times servant and slave of men - able to obey, bend and adapt to suit his needs).

I believe the only thing that makes Gorean men different from other men with the above traits and beliefs is their affinity, reverence, and application of both the philosophy and some of the the traditions found within the Gorean novels.

There are many men who may exhibit all of the traits above and they also may believe in the Natural Order as defined above. But most Goreans believe that if they have not read the source material and do not choose to wear that label and all it entails, then they are not, Gorean men.

I have met very few men who exhibit all of those traits. Some are Gorean, some are not. In the end, I think it matters very little. A good man is still a good man, regardless of the label he chooses to wear.

As far as the differences and traits of a Gorean slave - I again see very little difference. A slave is a slave is a slave to me. If she has surrendered her right to choose to another - if she strives to please that person to the best of her ability and does her absolute best not to fail - if she understands her role as property and embraces it, finding fulfillment, then she is a slave. I know a great many slaves who have never even heard the word Gor yet they serve with the same profound level of commitment and have surrendered just a completely as the Gorean slave.

Most men that I know within the Gorean community say that a slave becomes a Gorean slave if she is owned by a Gorean man, period. It is her owner who defines her and affords her this label - nothing more.

One difference I have often found with the Gorean slave, however, is that she is expected to serve and obey all Gorean men (those whom her owner has defined as being Gorean - those who are a part of *his* Gorean community). There are many slaves from other lifestyles who are only required to obey their owner and no one else.

To further demonstrate, I will give an example:

bessieslave is sent by her owner (A Gorean man) to a party in the home of another Gorean man. He has to work that night but he allows his girl to go anyway to spend time in with the people of his Gorean community.

She arrives at this party and spends her time in service to the different men, fetching drinks, food, engaging in conversation, etc. At one point, a man she is in service to tells her to do something, i.e. to kiss his feet. She has been instructed by her owner, however, that she is not allowed to kiss any other man's feet but his own. She may say to that man, "Master Bob, bessie is not allowed to kiss the feet of any other man but her owner - do you still wish for her to do so?" and if Master Bob insists that she do it anyway, then she is to obey.

In the Gorean M/s relationship, the slave is expected to obey all of the men within her owner's Gorean community. If, however, the men do indeed exhibit the traits I mentioned earlier, they will most likely *not* make bessieslave go against her owner's wishes. Obviously if Master Bob's command had been something that would endanger bessieslave's life, then she would (as common sense and self preservation dictates) not obey. If a Gorean man doesn't want his slave to be in a position to obey the commands of others over his own, then he does not send her into a situation where she will be expected to do so.

A common myth is that the Gorean slave is required to serve and obey ALL men. This simply is not true. A Gorean slave is not required to obey the local grocer, mailman, or neighborhood sociopath either. To do so would surely have a disastrous outcome. She is, in most cases, required to be obedient only to those Gorean men her owner indicates.

I do know many non-Gorean slaves who are also required to obey other people as defined by their owners. I see very little difference between this and the lot of a Gorean slave.

I believe there is a need amongst humans to use labels and such to not only define, but to elevate. Many Gorean slaves I know believe that if you are not a Gorean slave, then you are just a bdsm subbie brat. To them, being a Gorean slave means being better than everyone else. There are others who see through the labels and judge people for their actions rather than the label they wear. On the flipside, there are many folks from the BDSM walks of life who believe that if you are a Gorean slave, you're just a doormat and that you are fodder for misogynists and abusers who don't have a grip on reality. They also cannot see past their own preconceived labels.

I repeat that to me, a slave is a slave is a slave. We all walk the same path regardless of the label we wear. We struggle, we fall down, we strive to please and we are owned by someone who is capable and fulfilled in controlling, guiding, using, and enslaving us.

In closing, I would like to add that there are a great many people who choose to call themselves Gorean who do not even remotely fit into what I have described as above even though the above is what is widely accepted by the majority of the Gorean community. This is why I choose to look beyond the label and find the truth in the actions of the individual.

P.S. I think that the differences between Goreans and others is far more visible online. The internet has made Gor into something that is all about silk colors, flowery service, and complicated rituals. Online people talk about who they are, what they do, etc. Most Goreans that I know offline do not have a lifestyle that even resembles the fantasy world that is often painted online. They may incorporate some of the trappings, however, they're just normal folks who apply a philosophy into their life.