Submission comes in many forms. The sexual submissive, the SAM, (Smart Ass Masochist) the slave, the bottom that thinks they are a submissive, and the submissive that thinks they are a slave. No matter what one calls themselves or what brand of submission they practice, there is one thing that remains a constant within the great circle of Dominance and submission; it’s the submissive’s bottom which lay bared and blushed for all the world to see. It is the submissive who is tied to the bed, cuffed to the St. Andrews cross, suspended from the ceiling, and at the business end of the single tail. Hence, it is the submissive that suffers whenever there is inexperience, negligence, incompetence, skullduggery, or just a freak accident.
Furthermore, it is this vulnerability that many submissives crave. Given the aforementioned facts and the need for submissives to be happy, healthy, and safe, I pose this question: What can a submissive do to satisfy their need to submit while also addressing the need for physical, emotional, and intellectual security?
Just as my previous article, Standards For Dominance, speaks to the fact that there are no established guidelines for dominant behavior on which the majority of “safe sane” members of our community agree, neither are there guidelines for submissives to refer to before agreeing to submit.
I am in no position to prescribe methods by which to submit as I have yet to submit myself. I offer these humble suggestions with my only credential being that I have been and ever shall be a Dominant advocate for submissives. I have saved submissives from dangerous scenes in dungeons (and been thanked profusely for it) I have defended submissives in chat rooms, and I have written numerous articles about submissive rights. While I have never “submitted,” I have bottomed on countless occasions, garnering respect and empathy for those without whom dominance is moot.
I would like to preface the following comments by acknowledging the submissive whose sole goal in life is to please and obey their Mistress/Master/Dominant with no regard for their personal choices, needs, or feelings. With all respect for that choice, this article is written for the submissive who requires the terms of their submission to include provisions for his or her mental, physical, and emotional health, well-being, and happiness.
In my humble opinion, the tenets of safe submission are these:
Know yourself and articulate what you want
Don’t settle
Have a formal agreement
Get out of the relationship if your agreement is breached.
The reason what we do is referred to as power “exchange” is because each party should get something out of the arrangement. To know yourself and be able to articulate what you want is the first step to ensuring that you are happy with what you get, assuming that is your goal. A submissive must know what makes them want to submit, under what terms they will submit, and what qualities they look for in a Dominant to whom they will submit.
The submissive who has not asked and answered the questions why, under what terms, and to whom is not yet ready to be in a D/s relationship. This submissive is destined to be a victim of their ignorance of themselves. Furthermore, if you ask yourself why you want to submit, and the answer is that you don’t like yourself, you have low self-esteem, or you need to be punished for wrongs you have committed in your past, this does not constitute a need to submit. These answers are indicative of someone who requires professional therapy before they are ready to consider the D/s lifestyle.
It is important to know what to look for in and expect from a Dominant. In the article Standards For Dominance, I cite the tenets of Dominance as these:
Honor (and respect)
Knowledge, both of the lifestyle and of any submissives
Responsibility
Detailed explanations of these qualities as they refer to Dominants are offered in the aforementioned article. In my opinion, these are the bare minimum personality traits required to be a good Dominant. If a potential Dominant is weak in any or all of these essential Dominant traits, no amount of love, service, devotion, or nurturing can change this. If a submissive settles for a Dominant lacking in these areas, they are jeopardizing their physical and emotional well-being to do so.
Many of the submissives with whom I am acquainted express a need, a hunger to submit to another’s will, to serve, to please, and to acquiesce to domination. These are fine qualities in a submissive, to be sure, unless this need drives them to pursue being dominated beyond reason and intuition. When Dominants and submissives meet, there is a tendency for them to assume their natural roles. Many submissives start to submit right from the beginning. If the submissive has begun to submit before there is an agreement in place, it becomes difficult for the submissive to advocate for themselves when building the parameters for their D/s relationship.
Submission is an extremely fluid concept. The submissive who simply submits without knowing what constitutes submission in the mind of the potential Dominant and does not define boundaries and limitations that ensure their physical and emotional well-being has given away their power and is left with nothing to exchange.
Dominants, like most humans, value that which is earned, and possessions obtained easily are deemed of lesser value. The mistake many submissives make is believing that submission equals powerlessness in the eyes of a Dominant. There is a difference between being powerless and having a power exchange.
It is the insecure or nefarious Dominant that wants their submissives to be powerless. As a Dominant, I want my submissives to be as powerful as they can be. This makes the gift of their power more valuable and makes us formidable as a unit. A Dominant’s “job” is to give a submissive a secure place to express themselves as a submissive. A truly fine Dominant will help their submissive be more powerful in the other sections of his or her life.
A submissive needs to remember that they are not a Dominant’s submissive, subject to their will, until they have agreed to be so. BEFORE a submissive agrees to submit, they need to know exactly what they are getting into. The parameters of the relationship need to be defined, and the submissive’s needs, wants, hopes, desires, and hard and soft limits must be clearly stated.
Somehow, the rumor got started that when things are “right,” the other person “just knows” what someone wants. This is bullshit of the first order! If you have not told someone what you need and you don’t get it…It’s your fault. There is no need for this to be a confrontational or adversarial process. A submissive can express their requirements with respectful passion, and a good Dominant understands their responsibilities for a submissive’s safety, well-being, training, and pleasure (See Standards for Dominance for details on the responsibilities of Dominants). They need this information to execute these responsibilities.
Many D/s couples negotiate terms and sign a formal written contract to formalize the process. This contract has no “legal” bearing whatsoever. It is in place to remind the partners of what they agreed to do. Done correctly, this can be a bonding experience as it symbolizes a commitment.
Many forms of D/s relationships are less formal. Certainly, partners can deepen and strengthen their commitment in stages or not at all. Whatever partners expect from one another, whether it is for a single scene or a lifetime commitment, must have defined parameters. It is these parameters that give a submissives the power to choose the general direction of their submission. Once an agreement is struck, the submissive can submit freely, leaving the details of how they arrive at a destination to their honorable, knowledgeable, and responsible Dominant.
I see the words “A submissive is not a doormat” constantly. But only when submissives don’t act like doormats do these high-minded words have teeth. If a “Dominant” is not honorable, knowledgeable, and responsible, if they do not respect your agreements and you remain in that situation, you are acting like a doormat, and you will continue to be treated as such.
The great circle that is Dominance and submission requires both in tandem to be more than just an idea, but a lifestyle. When D/s players work in tandem, they can build a healthy, happy existence for all concerned. The good Dominant respects and values the submissive, who respects and values themselves. It is this respect and value of your submission that is the essence of the power that you exchange. Cherish and nurture your submissive power and give it only to those who earn this precious gift.