By: Jason (aka AGoreanRPer)

I was chatting with some people recently and the topic that always seems to come up came up once again. What makes someone Gorean. Well, the normal response came out, honor, personal responsibility, living true to one's self, and all the other high ideals and moralities that always come out.

Normally, I sit and think along much the same lines, but there was always a sort of gnawing at the back of my head when I did, like I was over looking something. Today, I finally managed to put my finger down on the elusive thought and wonder why I never connected this dot before to the other.

The key to the Gorean Philosophy and making all the high ideals work is --- Passion. Not just any passion either, but a steaming, heart pounding, earth shaking, maelstrom type of passion for life itself. Being Gorean is more than aiming towards living up to certain ideals, it's a burning desire to LIVE. To go out and experience life, to take it in your hands and not let go no matter what turns it may take.

Without a passion for life, all that the striving to acheive the high ideals will get you is a sterile dry white tower sort of life. All the knowledge with none of the joy, all the ideas with none of the exhiliration. Without a passion for living, you are not out on the edge of things, risking what you have and who you are in a never ending quest to improve yourself.

There was a reason Bosk submitted rather than die in the marshs, not because he was weak, but because he wanted to LIVE. Survival is one on the most basic and overwhelming traits of being alive. Without that fear to push you to try harder, without that raw desire to win to make you give more of yourself, without the will to put all of yourself out there and hold nothing back, all the ideals and philosophies are as useful as a handful of water when trying to put out a raging forest fire.

Set goals for yourself yes, set your sights on what you see as a high moral philosophy yes, but above all --- LIVE, and live with a burning passion of one who is willing to risk pain for joy, loss for gain, and hurt for bliss.

- Jason
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