How can you tell? Easy...

Person 1: Are you kinky?

Person 2: No, go away you wierdo

Or

Person 2: Why yes, I am. Are you?

Also, generally in a BDSM club, the Dominants will be the ones sitting down, the subs will be the ones kneeling or fetching drinks...



As Jennifer stated, a short conversation can tell you, assuming it is the correct short conversation...

Seriously, the whole gamut of human responses is so vastly complicated that it is impossible to completely classify an individual from minimal information. Psychologists try to simplify it with many personality types and labelling (of which submissive and dominant are only 2) but it is really not as simple as they try to paint it.

This is made even more complicated by the concept of demeanour. Everyone in the world puts a public face on. Even to close friends and family you have a 'persona' that you create and project for their benefit. I know of some subs who act very dominant in most social and work situations but who relax by dropping this act. This is me to a large extent. I have also known dom/mes who are apparently not at all dominant - at least in public - but as soon as you get them in private they are.

I would say that you could maybe detect some of the extreme traits but, as stated already, you have to be ready to be wrong. Only sure method is to straight out ask them.