Deceptive Authority

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This one's gonna hurt a few people but the purpose and intention is to open some eyes and perhaps allow some so-called Master's to think about what they are doing and allow slaves to tell the difference between a true Master and a self-proclaimed Master.

I cannot take credit for the title of this article. I borrowed it from a conversation I had with a slave. I was discussing the condition of Masters on the Internet and the slave is the one who coined the phrase deceptive auhtority. It was the slave's way of describing the type of authority that many of the so-called Masters who advertise on the Internet. In the slave's view he had met many Masters that appeared to play the part of a Master. These men pick up cues from the Internet and use them to lure unsuspecting slaves into being collared by them. These men are not prepared, nor do they know how, to use authroity and instead end up abusing the authority that comes with the title of Master.

Many slaves are already willing to follow any man who calls himself a Master. However, many inexperienced slaves become prey to these self-proclaimed Masters. In many instances these slaves end up being abused (and not in a good way). There seems to be an increasing trend to this phenomenon. Not that there have not been those who prey on the unsuspecting or the inexperienced; that will always happen. However, it seems that more and more slaves report that they are led astray by men calling themselves Masters who use and abuse a slave's life to their own end and then throw the slave away when they are done with them.

My use of the word "deceptive" is specifically intended. The word deceptive means one who has the power to mislead. Many so-called Masters and slaves become adept as using catch phrases that are commonly used on the Internet. Men calling themselves Masters on various sites use common words and phrases along with alluring images to attract a slave. I would like to make something clear. It is not My intention to point the finger solely at the Masters. I have had My share of being lured in by people posing as slaves who are merely desperate to find a successful Man in hopes of finding some security in life. What these people really need is some sort of sugar Daddy not a Master. However, since the word deceptive refers to the one who has the power to be misleading...that would identify the Master since He is the one with the power to mislead. However, using deception ultimately gives anyone using it the power to mislead. It just so happens that in the context of the Master/slave relationship it is usually the Master who weilds the most of the power.

As I have mentioned in other parts of this web site; use of the word Master connotes* the idea of a person who possesses a mastery of something such as art or of some technique or a person that has developed a consumate skill in something. IF a man is going to use the term Master in reference to himself within the context of the BDSM or Master/slave lifestyle...then what exactly is he a Master of? A slave? Some bondage technique? Anyone using the term master generally is not one by self proclomation. So how is the man that refers to himself as a Master in actuality a true Master?

Who Sets The Standard For What a Master Is or Is Not?

If it were so easy and universally accepted then anyone coould refer to themselves as a Master. Throughout human history it has only been those very few individuals who are referred to as a Master. It is society or a persons peers that confer that title on the individual...not the individual themselves. So that raises the question, or should raise a question within the true slave's mind. Who confers the title of Master; what group of a man's peers are in agreement that the man who claims to be a Master actually is a Master? Well, what makes a Master anyway? Who sets the standards for who is qualifies to enjoy that title?

Without the social network that used to exist when Masters and slaves met in bars or other venues there is no actual way for a Master to be in fact accepted and regarded by His peers as a Master. The same holds true for the slave. Social customs change all the time. Sine the advent of the Internet many of the customery social settings that Masters and slaves have disappeared. Not that there are not any real Masters on the Internet, but how does one determine whether a man claiming to be a Master actually IS a Master?

What criteria defines whether a Master is qualified to use that term? Most men who populate Internet sites pandering to the Master/slave lifestyle believe (or are lead to believe) that they have to confer the title of Master upon themselves in order to describe who they are and what there interests are; which is generally just a Dom. If a slave desires to commit himself to a Master how does the slave determine which Men calling themselves Master actually are a Master? While the answer to that question may appear to be difficult it is actually quite simple to describe.

Since there is no specific way to confer the title of Master onto a man who exhibits dominant charactersitics other than self-proclomation there must be some other defining criteria that can be used. Well, let's examine that and begin with the word itself. A Master; that has already defined as a person who "has developed a consumate skill in something", should be easily identifiable by his skill at Mastering or Mastery. What exactly is the skill of Mastery. Well, in this context is that He would be a Master of lives considering that His skill is directed toward Mastering the life of another individual--the slave.

How does a slave determine if a man calling himself a Master is in fact qualified to Master over a slave's life? The answer to that question would be that the Master's own life is evidence. In other words, the Master has Mastered His own life. Certainly a Man would have to at the very least be successful at Mastering His own life before taking on the responsibility of a slave's life. That seems logical enough. So the answer to the question posited in the sub-title "Who Sets The Standard For What a Master Is or Is Not?" is the Master Himself sets the standards and that standard is that His own life is evidence that He has Mastered His own life. But what does that mean, exactly?

Mastering one's own life would mean that a person would have personal mastery or self mastery which means possessing full command or complete control of one's life. It's not only in the possession of certain skills or knowledge but a comprehensive understanding of one's individuality and knowing how to respond to situations based on personal values and principles. Just like any other skills, understanding self takes time. But once you gain the knowledge and expertise, you'll become more experienced and wiser. Once you have control or a grip, you will find it easy to maneuver through life and solve issues. You will also have a considerable amount of self esteem and self confidence and usually make a good leader.

Characteristics of a True Master

A true Master, a Man who exhibits that they have a handle on their own lives before they can claim to know how to handle the life of a slave should:
  • Self awareness: A Master should, at some level, be able to demonstrate that He has a sense of awareness of His own thoughts and emotions. He needs to understand that having dominance over them will affect His actions, behaviors and attitudes positively.
  • Self Discipline: Knowing something is insufficient for personal mastery to take place. A Master must take action immediately and impose self discipline to continuously develop the habits of "right thinking" and feeling in connection with His skills at Mastering not only Himself but His slave(s) as well. Disciplining Himself in order to gather the knowledge, learn and practice the skills of mastery over His own life will make Him affective at Mastering the life of a slave. It takes self control to change and leave behind something that is hindering His personal growth and success. When He disciplines Himself to practice the skills and develop good habits consistently, He is moving Himself toward mastery.
  • Has a clear vision of what He wants to achieve: Having a clear vision allows a Master to continue finding workable plans and move forward. The clarity of what He wishes to achieve overcomes His fears and procrastination. It enables Him to persist. It takes courage to conquer the life challenging moments as He works Himself to mastering His own life. A Master cam clearly decide on His personal standards and values that He lives with. He demonstrates that He takes charge of His own life when He has clarity on what He is willing to do or not to do and how He wants His life to turn out.
  • He knows that He can choose what He wants to experience: Life gives you choices to either stay in bed or go out and make a place for yourself. He can continue to let others dictate His life or make His own decisions of how and with whom He wants to spend it. He can take a different point of view about how people and life are treating Him. He can decide instead to see Himself as the person who is responsible for the change and to define His own destiny.
  • Is able to commit to Himself and learn to trust: A Master needs to be able to commit to Himsflf and to take charge of His emotions and thoughts. He demostrates that He is decisive in order to advance and gain power to Master His relationships, finances and health. He is able to take the effort to learn, practice and discipline Himself to follow through regardless of how others think of Him or the past disappointments. It takes commitment to gain personal mastery for development and growth. The true Master trusts that He can do it and accept that it is a process that takes time but will bear the benefits equivalent to what He puts into His life.
  • Demonstrates Flexibility : As a Man capable of Mastering His own life He understands that slaves are not manufactured in some plant in Detroit. In other words every slave brings different life experiences; talents and abilities. He also has the capacity to understand that a slave brings various different types of social and familial customs with them. A Master is flexible enough to observe His slaves and learn from them what He does not know. In many ways slaves can teach their Masters many things. However, if the Master is shut off from seeing value in His slaves due to an over amplified ego, then His autority will never amount to anything.
  • Does Not Appear to be Egotistical : On the one hand it is true that many Masters, especially in the Leather and BDSM communities, exhibit strong dominant charictersitics which can be fed by a strong ego. However, a true Master understands that an uncontrolled ego will create many problems for Him. If a Master is egotistical how will He manage His slaves when they show sign of egotism? It is the Master's responsibility to be a model for His slaves. Many slaves say that they enjoy a Master that is egotistical, but I have had enough experience to know that it may be fun for a while but it gets old fast. An egotistical Master can wear a slave out and ruin the slave for a lifetime. Of course the opposite is also true. An overly egotistical slave can burn out a Master and make life miserable not only for himself but His Master as well. Food for thought.
  • Intuition: It is important that a Master have a realatively good sense of intuition. Without it a Master is lost is a sea of emotions and misunderstandings. He must demonstrate that He has the ability to listen and a keen sense of observation where His slaves lives are concerned. An intuitive Master will make life for Himself and a slave much easier. Having foresight and the ability to act on His intuition goes a long way in settling disputes or misunderstandings before they begin or come to a head.
Using these simple guidelines a slave will find it a little easier to identify a true Master. Just a word of warning...as far as I know Adam didn't have any brothers. A slave must keep in mind that the points above are a guidleine. No one Master will ever attain perfection in all of these areas. However, a slave might be able to identify "some" of the characteristics of a true Master.

*Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
Main Entry: con·note
Pronunciation: knt, ()kä|nt, usu -d.+V
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -ed/-ing/-s
Etymology: Medieval Latin connotare, from Latin com- + notare to mark, note -- more at NOTE
1 of a word or phrase a : to signify in addition to its exact explicit meaning b : to have as the sum of meanings : MEAN, SIGNIFY
2 a : to arouse as an inseparably associated idea or feeling : IMPLY, SUGGEST b : to be associated with or inseparable from as a consequence or concomitant
3 logic : to imply, indicate, or involve as an attribute : bear as connotation -- contrasted with denote

 

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© Master Rick, Reno, Nevada 2011