Speaking purely from the context on being a male Dominant and my behaviors I know I have stepped on landmines throughout.
I'm no oil painting as they say , in fact I consider myself to be in the looks department basement level perhaps. As for personality I like to think I'm at least the second floor. In terms of my abilities to express myself both verbally and emotionally I'm hoping I'm second floor there too. My Dominant persona is at this stage well developed. I care about my Dom persona I want him to be as best as he can but it's very important to me he retains the personality traits from which he was born and it is without saying that includes the good the bad and the ugly bits.
In my kink I use humour , at first in the beginning the humour was replicating life as it hid my nerves my insecurities and any hurt. This changed over time. I learned that my humour not longer is a camouflage to hide but to display who I am.
I also in my kink I can display traits of grandiose selfishness and big headedness which I know is not great but also is meant to be a trait of a Dom and that line between them is very important but also very easy to step over and I've done that and it does make me feel bad.
It is times where I can not let my hard fought for strands to my Dom's persona slip or change or be watered down and this can cause conflicts can cause confusion and yes can cause hurt. I have sat with myself and questioned should I change to suit ? am I being to rigid? should I compromise more ? These questions can bring shame and bring a stubborn resolve to go one way or the other. I try not to hurt while trying to maintain my own personal standards and this clash can and does feel to me like stepping on a landmine and I've now got to decide. Jump it goes off and I lose a part of me , stay put and I'll eventually get nothing but the inevitable , get recused and I can move forward again. Do I "win" with either of these scenarios , it all depends, it's not guaranteed it's not anything I can answer with confidence but , and there's always a but , I am true to myself in the end and that still I know is important to me.
If I can not be true to myself If I can not hold myself to high standards how am I expected to hold a dynamic or a submissive to these levels ? How can I expect behavior that I can not maintain myself, is that not just bullshit then !? So it goes without saying once more I'll step on other landmines no doubt again and again as I know I'm flawed I know I'm capable of fucking up but I also know I'm determined to stay my course to keep my Doms calmness and contentment where I want it and where I have got it too.
So expect fuck ups but expect none.