Gorean Philosophy

Question::  Where do You feel the Gorean Philosophy is most misunderstood?

LexEldron::  I feel the most misunderstood part of the Gorean Philosophy is "be who and what you are". Many people end up being labeled a 'player/gamer' when they approach IRC Gor as a character role-playing game with personality attributes dictated by a set of rules someone told them to follow. When they try to 'act' the part, it becomes obvious that they are not behaving normally and are trying to force the situation. They need to choose a Caste that they know something about and feel comfortable being in. On IRC Gor, physical strength means nothing and so being a strong Warrior does not really count for a lot (unless you are also a computer hacker). What is more important is that we need to be natural in the roles we assume on IRC Gor.

Question::  What is Your opinion of the current online Gorean Community?

LexEldron::  The people on IRC Gor are very diverse and I believe firmly that each one of us is here for our own reasons. I also believe that no one has the right to tell another that they can not be on IRC Gor. So we are going to have channels on IRC Gor from the ridiculous to the hard-core types. As becoming Gorean is a journey, so can IRC Gor be a journey. As many of us mature and develop, we outgrow old ways, friends, and channels. We move on to establish new relationships and ideas. That is why I do not get too upset with the slack channels on IRC Gor. They may be the starting point for many who need to adjust slowly into Gorean ways. If it takes a long time for some to work through the various stages in becoming Gorean, then I believe that is OK. We all need to seek out our own levels on IRC Gor and work from there.

Question::  Do You feel sex is a factor in a Master/slave relationship?

LexEldron::  It can be, but is not always a necessary part and definitely not the only part. Many are here on IRC purely for the sex - which is fine, as long as they are matched with people who have similar interests. For me, sex can be part of the M/s relationship; but the M/s relationship will not be subordinate to me getting sex on IRC. IRC Gor does allow us to explore different parts of the M/s relationship outside sex, which many of us have done. I believe that one reason that there are so many paper collars on IRC Gor is because people get into an M/s relationship, concentrate too much on the sex portion of it, and then just get flat out bored.

Question::  Disregarding the domination aspect - in Your opinion how does the Gorean Philosophy and Lifestyle differ from that of the standard Earthly way of life?

LexEldron::  The Gorean Philosophy teaches us that all have a predetermined place in society that they naturally fall into. It also teaches the domination of the strong over the weak. That is fine as long as the weak have no means to retaliate against the strong and people accept their place peacefully - but that is not real life, at least not in the United States. In Gor, steel and cunning rules in a barbaric atmosphere where the weak are destroyed naturally. In real life, there are different ways to settle disagreements where physical means are not an option, and the weak are protected.

Question::  What does it mean to be a Gorean Master, what are the qualifications?

LexEldron:: To me, being a Gorean Master requires that I take full responsibility of myself, and have strength and self-confident in all that I do. That means I am fully accountable for my actions and any slave that belongs to me. It helps to be in an M/s relationship, but is not always necessary. Becoming a Gorean Master is a journey that all must make, requiring study and experience. It is not something you just walk into. Obviously, being a R/L Master has advantages over that of just being an IRC Gorean Master, but both can be fulfilling depending on the people involved.

Question::  Do you think a Gorean can perform an unforgivable action or crime on IRC? If so, what would that be?

LexEldron::  Any act that causes a person’s acquaintances to turn their backs on them is a serious crime to the IRC Community...for example:

1) taking money from someone else under false pretenses, 2) playing others for fools for personal amusement or satisfaction, 3) abuse of another’s personal property, 4) acting in ways inappropriate with commonly excepted Gorean behavior (like deciding to be a Klingon on Gor...which I have seen), 5) and declaring that IRC Gor is only a game and not understanding why everyone is so upset about this silly forced collaring - HaHaHaHa!

Mastery

Question::  Setting aside "pleasing", what would You say is the Greatest Joy found by a Master with His slave?

LexEldron::  For me, watching a slave grow and become a good kajira is the most rewarding feeling I believe a Slave Owner can experience. Setting up their training and keeping their desire to be your slave is difficult and challenging. Maintaining their interest and demanding their obedience in IRC Gor, where slavery is purely consensual, takes a special skill. When the slave begins to achieve the attitude and actions of a Gorean kajira, that is truly an accomplishment for the slave and their Owner.

A close second is the successful taming of a willful and unruly slave. There is a good feeling of personal accomplishment when you know you have truly locked a collar on one that many could not have mastered. But I feel this may be an illusion. For if the mix of personalities and circumstances are right, an M/s relationship can succeed with little effort. So even though it may be a good feeling, finding a good match and sticking with it may be all that it really took.

Question::  In correction, when is the whip most effective? Least effective?

LexEldron::  There are three things that must exist for a cyber-whipping to be effective in correcting behavior of a slave: 1) the slave must understand exactly what they did wrong; 2) the slave must understand what the correct behavior is; 3) and the slave must feel real remorse that their Owner is upset with them and must take the time to punish them.

However, I find cyber-whipping to be one of the most ineffective ways of dealing with slave behavior on IRC Gor. Physical punishment does not exist on IRC Gor for most slaves, especially for those that have never been beaten in real life. I have heard of slaves painting their nails and watching TV as their Owner whips them in channel. Even punishments over the phone can been faked. So typical physical correction techniques used in real life may not always work in IRC Gor. IRC Gor is more mental, which requires that punishments to be more mental. When a slave tells me that she wants to be whipped rather than accept my 'other' punishment, I know I am really punishing her.

Question::  Since You believe mental punishment is more effective than physical, what are Your favored forms of mental punishment?

LexEldron::  That very much depends on the slave. A Master has to find a punishment that is most effective in correcting the slave’s behavior. This may involve a lot of hit and miss attempts in finding the best punishments, and adapting those punishments as the slave acclimates to them.

A few of the techniques I have learned are: 1) waiting a few days to announce what the punishment will be, anticipation of the punishment being part of the punishment; 2) periods of punishments, like serving in a restricted way for a week is effective when the slave is proud of their serving. 3) I have also found that Masters punishing themselves for not being a good enough Master for the slave may be effective if the slave cares enough for their Master...for example: not taking Ops in channel, not taking serves from other slaves, limiting the amount and type of serves the slave can perform for their Master, public apologizes by the Master for the slave’s behavior, and burning of one’s hand after whipping the slave.

But the key here is effectiveness, the punishment must be hard enough that the slave will always remember it and want to avoid it again. But the punishment must not be too hard or inappropriate, else you may alienate the slave to the point they are no longer useful to you.

Question::  In your opinion, when is it appropriate to punish a slave?

LexEldron::  That is totally up to the Slave Owner and the type of M/s relationship they have.

Question::  Do you think it is acceptable to punish the slave of another Master?

LexEldron::  Only with the permission of the slave’s Owner, PERIOD! If you own a tarn or a kaiila, would you stand for another beating the animal because the animal crapped on their lawn?...Hell No!

I have had experiences where I was asked to punish someone else’s slave because they needed help in doing it or because they just felt that they could not do it.

Question::  How do You handle peer pressure?

LexEldron::  The Gorean Philosophy states that you should do whatever you want as a Gorean Master. But I also see a lot of Gorean Masters sitting in channel alone because they do just that. We can act independently all we want, but if you want comradeship here on IRC Gor, you are going to have to meet some social norms of those you wish to be associate with. So it is more of a balance between doing what you want and understanding what behavior others around you will accept. The one thing that I will not do is compromise my core ideas just to be accepted by others that demand I change my behavior to receive their blessings. I am still my own Master, and will not be a FreePerson slaved to another.

Question::  In Your opinion, is there ever a time for a slave to be Your equal?

LexEldron::  No. As a Master, it is important that you maintain control at all times. There are situations which may be informal and you may even act like equals, but the Master must always have the option of snapping the situation back to their full control at anytime. If not, then some control of the M/s relationship is lost to the slave, which may be unwise and undesirable.

Miscellaneous

Question::  How long have You been on I.R.C. Gor?

LexEldron::  8 months.

Question::  What brought You to Gor?

LexEldron::  Just walked into a Gorean channel thinking it was a D&D type role playing channel. But after adjusting through the initial shock, I found IRC Gor interesting and decided to stay.

Question::  To date, who/what has been the greatest influence on Your journey?

LexEldron::  I would have to say all the slaves that taught me how to be a Master. At first, it was the slaves that had a lot of experience that dragged me kicking and screaming through the IRC Gor experience. Many FreePeople showed me by example how to act and how not to act, but the slaves had more of a direct effect on me becoming who I am. This includes all aspects of IRC Gor, not just the M/s relationship.

Question::  Is there any part of Your journey You would change? If Yes, why?

LexEldron::  I would have dropped the D&D Elf bit the first time I joined an IRC Gorean Channel. Other than that, nothing.

Question::  What does the Gorean Collar mean to You?

LexEldron::  For me, an IRC Gorean Collar is a symbol of a partnership of a Master and their slave(s). With IRC Gor slavery being more consensual than even R/L Gor, it can be a real challenge to make the M/s relationship work here in IRC Gor. Many play with collars, thinking that the collar will make them happy. If they enter into an IRC Gorean M/s relationship with the idea of only taking, it will not work. Even as a Master, I must give any slave the demanding, strict treatment she desires so she will continue to want to wear my collar. Even though it looks like Masters do all the taking, any successful M/s Relationship involves each party getting what they want.

Question::  In Your opinion what is the purpose of White Silk?

LexEldron::  A slave is a FreePerson’s property, and to share their property with others is their decision. By placing a slave in white silks, you are saying as the slave’s Owner that there are rules your slave will follow when interacting with other FreePeople. To some, this is not being very Gorean. To me, it is being very Gorean because I am being who I want to be and doing what I want to do. I am not letting others decide for me how I will use a slave.

Question::  What did You find dissatisfying in BDSM?

LexEldron::  Sorry, never been there, never done that, and do not have the T-Shirt. In some ways, I feel that I may have an advantage in this. I can pursue the Gorean M/s Relationship without having to unlearn things in BDSM and D/s that do not apply in IRC Gor.

Question::  In Your opinion, what is the most important thing a Master/slave should know about each other before entering into a collar commitment?

LexEldron::  To know if they are compatible, both in personalities and personal situations that could effect their IRC Gorean M/s relationship [thinks this question could be a Ph.D. thesis]. A lot of collaring on IRC Gor happens just like ‘going steady’ did in my Jr. High School days when I was young. This is fine in some ways because people are experimenting in IRC Gor as they did with dating. I do not think a lot of thought and effort goes into choosing a slave for most new people to IRC Gor, but that is fine as long as the people involved accept this. I believe many here are pressured into giving/taking a collar before they are ready because that is how you learn to be a Master or a slave - especially slaves [which is a whole new topic]. I am not sure I always agree with this. I wonder how many really good people were lost to IRC Gor because of a few initial bad experiences?

Question::  What in your opinion is the difference between a serious Gorean channel and a "Disney-Gor" channel?

LexEldron::  Understanding of the limits which makes a Channel Gorean. Both can be fun places to go, but only those that are really Gorean will be obviously working within the boundaries of the accepted ways of Gor. When you walk into a Channel and find the slaves are running the channel while the FreePeople watch is not being Gorean. However, we also must remember that as people can be dynamic, so can channels. I have gone to S&S on DalNet to find the slaves swinging from the overhead...but there were also no OPs present either.

Question::  Where, for you, does online end and real life begin?

LexEldron::  There is no line. Both are part of my life and both follow me around 24/7.

Question::  In Your opinion, how is slave rape beneficial to the slave in finding/feeling her slave belly?

LexEldron::  First, I wish to define slave rape as I understand it: “the sexual use of a slave; may be either tender or brutal, casual or deliberate” [from the Tavern of Stone and Tahari Oasis Web Pages].

As we all know, slave rape is not possible on IRC Gor. But many slaves ‘allow’ themselves to be slave raped. Why?... because of the rush of resisting another and having to be forcibly seduced, the satisfaction of serving and pleasing? - each slave has to answer this question for themselves. But in the end, the M/s relationship is further strengthened by the trust that a slave develops for their Owner. Yes, a slave will be slave raped, but they also know that they will not be pushed beyond their mental limits. This developing trust only strengthens the bonds that slave has for their Owner, each time they venture further into the darker areas of Gor.

But there is another side to slave rape, and that is the responsibility of the Owner. The Owner must know and understand their slave fully. The first thing an Owner must determine is where they wish to take the slave. Once that is established, an Owner must then decide the best training methods for that slave to get them there. To push a slave where they are not ready to go, may result in that slave being totally ruined. On IRC Gor where slavery is consensual, once a slave has lost trust in their Owner, you might as well get rid of them - for they will not be of any use to you whatsoever. So the Owner has a lot of responsibility when they take a slave to the dark sides of Gor; but if the Owner does it right and succeeds, the gratification is awesome.

Question::  What is Your opinion on the use (sexual) of slaves in an open channel?

LexEldron::  I have no problem with sex in open channel as long as the channel states fully that it is permitted. Depending on my attitude and mood, I may or may not want to be in a channel that has open sex. I do not think it is in particularly good taste to just enter a channel and start getting hot and heavy. There is a time and place for everything in IRC Gor. Go to the channels that permit you to do what you want to, when you want to do it.

Question::  In Your opinion, under what circumstances should a slave be Freed?

LexEldron::  I believe that a slave should be freed by her Owner under two conditions:

a) that the M/s relationship has advanced to a point where it is natural that the slave become a FreeCompanion; b) that the slave has shown the capacity and the desire to be a FreeWoman, and definitely makes a better FreeWoman than a slave.

I do not support a slave just declaring herself a FreeWoman [actually had a slave declare herself free and change her Nick while she was on the post and I was about to whip her... I just threw the whip down, left the channel disgusted, and refused to deal with her further]. Only when a slave is freed by her a Master, should a slave be recognized as a FreeWoman. The only exception to this is if a female enters the realm of IRC Gor as a FreeWoman initially.

Question::  What advise would You give someone new to Gor?

LexEldron::  a) Remember that learning about Gor is a journey, take it at your own speed and direction; b) Read the Books of Gor and learn as much as you can from them; just remember that they are only a guide and will be used by others to try manipulate you; c) Do not allow others to determine who you are, what you are, or what you do. Learn from others as much as you can, but pick and choose what ideas you can/will accept to build your own Gorean beliefs. Believe me, I have found that even the ‘True Goreans’ do that. So live by your ‘own’ rules. If others do not accept you because you do not meet there standards, leave them behind and go your own way; d) Respect others and their ways, even if they do not respect yours (I have trouble taking my own advice with this one). e) The greatest thing you have to offer here on IRC Gor is your time. Make sure you give it to those that truly appreciate it.

Question::  What has been Your most difficult adjustment?

I grew up with a pretty dominate Mother and private schools. Needless to say, I fought kicking and screaming through most of my childhood (still have the scar on my back from when I told my Mother that I was joining the US Marines and going to Vietnam). But I was always told to respect women and striking them was total unheard of, unacceptable, as well as illegal. Well, I still have those beliefs in my R/L, but I am exploring the other side of me here in IRC Gor. I find that I still do not discipline for pleasure, but I am learning about my inter desire to dominate a female and exploring it further every day [looks around thinking where the hell is Sigmond when you need him?].

Possible Scenerio's

Question::  There is an on going debate "should slaves have OPs?" what is your viewpoint on this matter?

LexEldron::  Basically, I do not believe that slaves should have Ops. Since the kick/ban option in IRC Gor is equivalent to using a weapon and a slave is not permitted to use weapons, slave should not have Ops. Since in many cases the opinion of a slave is not valued, they probably should not have voice either. However, no matter how Gorean we try to be, we also must be practical. There are many elements out there in IRC (both Gorean and not) that seek to disturb the peace of IRC Goreans and their HomeStones. Both FreeWomen and slaves are expected to defend their HomeStone even in Book Gor, and this is the means in which they do it in IRC Gor.

Question::  Some one sends you a log, of "his channel" it accidentally contains a post wherein he identifies with nickop.. giving his password... your response?

LexEldron::  That has actually happened to me. I immediately inform the person and asked them to change their password. I did not care if they trusted me, that was not the point. I asked them to change their password right away so no possible conflict could occur. Plus, others may have seen the log as well.