A slave is the epitome of submission. However, a slave is only "better than" a submissive in terms of personal preference. Not all dominants want that much responsibility. Not all submissives want to give up that level of control. Although slavery may not be for everyone, there is generally some admiration by those in the lifestyle for those in M/s relationships because of the level of committment, trust, respect, etc., which are things not taken from the slave but freely given. On the other hand, there are those who point the finger and cry "unhealthy" at things they don't understand because of their own trust issues or sheer ignorance.

On a side note, what really irks me is this constant "I'm just as (insert lifestyle term) as a real life/lifestyle (insert lifestyle term)." I'm sorry, but if you're online or a weekend warrior, you're NOT *just as* (insert lifestyle term) as someone who is real life or 24/7. Guess what? It doesn't matter if you are or aren't (insert lifestyle term) as someone else. It should only matter to the people involved in the relationship. The bickering starts when you try to claim you're something you're not to others to make yourself feel more (insert adjective). Being open-minded and accepting doesn't mean you can piss on my leg, tell me it's raining, and expect me to believe it! *end of rant*