Quote Originally Posted by Dslave
The thing that boggles my mind in the BDSM community, really, is that so many men call themselves Masters but are they? I have to wonder, half the time, what it is they are Mastering. I mean, you can call yourself a Master all you want but really until someone else calls you Master and your actions are displaying a Mastery over something (or someone), are you a Master?

This wasn't a thread designed to debate the differences in commitment or experience between a dominant and a master; it is actually supposed to be somewhat educational for people that aren't sure what to call themselves or what their desires might be. Hopefully, this debate isn't taking away from that experience.

I consider myself a dominant, but by Dslave's reasoning, I should consider myself a master. By my definitions, I am not, though.

If it all amounts to experience, then I have plenty. If my BDSM experience were compared, in years, to a prison term, I'd have served the max for manslaughter by now. That would, by the terms laid down by Dslave, force me to be a master.

However, if one were to go by my definitions, than I am a dominant. Not because I lack any serious commitment to the lifestyle, nor because I lack practical experience, but because the style of relationship I want is not in fitting with the generally accepted terminology of the MS relationship. In my view, it has nothing to do with commitment, it's based on preference of the type of relationship you want.