Gorean Philosophy

Question::  What was the hardest thing to overcome when You took Your beliefs into Real Life?

Bannor::  There was some nervousness over whether my slave and I would "click" in real life as well as we had done on the system. Fortunately we did. Aside from this initial anxiety I didnt experience any other major problems.

Question::  For many, to bring the Gorean Philosophy into their Earthly lives: the cost and sacrifices are great: What has been Your greatest sacrifice to date?

Bannor::  I can easily understand how great sacrifices may need to made by some, when taking their Gorean philosophy into their Urthly existence. These, I would imagine, would be people who may be married or who have been in a long relationship, or who may even have children.

I myself had no such strings attached, which made it relatively easy. As far as the way others look at me is concerned, I have never been a person to worry too much about what others think. Thats probably mainly due to the fact that I can actually be an extremely arrogant sonnuvabitch, but I like who and what I am and my attitude is that if someone doesnt approve of me, well .... "frankly my dear I dont give a damn" : )

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?

Bannor::  Gorean philosophy is not just about being able to dominate a submissive female. Any (well most) males can do that. Those that do are called Doms. To call oneself Gorean, one needs to be strong. One needs to be confident, honest, loyal. And of course one needs to be honorable. These are the traits that define the Gorean.

Most Urth men unfortunately, do not fit this criteria at all. At least not in my opinion. Urth men are greedy, materialistic and shallow. Whereas the Urth man is concerned solely for himself and his own self-aggrandizement, the Gorean feels a brotherhood, a kinship with his fellows. He feels protective towards the slaves of his brothers, not just his own.

As for lifestyle, the Gorean master/slave relationship is a far cry from the pathetic relationships which predominate on Urth, characterised by more materialism, divorce and loss of traditional gender roles. The modern Urthen male is a cringing shadow of his forefathers.

Question::  How do You impress upon newcomers to Gor, the Gorean Philosophy?

Bannor::  If a newcomer came to me for assistance, I would first tell them to read some of the books, and give them URL's to some Gor websites, so they can at least learn enough not to make asses of themselves in channel. I think of myself as a reasonably good judge of character and can usually tell within 10 minutes of talking to someone whether they are worth expending further effort on, or whether they should be ignored or even kick/banned. Not that Im always right, but hey....shit happens :) It depends a lot on my mood at the time of meeting the newcomer. If Im busy talking to others, I might see the newcomers questions as rather intrusive. If Im not doing much else Im likely to be more willing to answer any questions.

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

Bannor::  I would have to answer yes to that question, since I have had a crime done to me on IRC for which I cannot forgive. What happened was I had to go overseas for 2 months, so in the time that I would be away I placed my slave under the protection of a man who I thought was honorable. When I returned, I found that he had cut off my collar and placed his own over my slaves neck.

There are some who have said to me, such is the way of Gor. A master can take any woman he pleases. If so, then this is where my philosophy and Gor differ, for that is simply dishonorable, low behaviour. I may have forgiven them both had they ever approached me and asked for it, but the fact that they didnt....that is the truly unforgiveable act.

Question::  Is there a place for BDSM in Gor? Is Gor an extension of BDSM?

Bannor::  Im no expert on BDSM. In fact I know very little about it. The odd times I've wandered into BDSM channels like #bondage, I havent stayed around very long. I find them as repulsive as the openly sexual channels (the types with names that begin with lots of !'s). They are full of HNG and brats. The only similarity I see between BDSM and Gor is that, in both, you have two entities, one being the controller and the other being the controlled. The reasons and methods used for this control are very different, but I wont go into any more depth on this because there are plenty people who will read this who know more about it than me and perhaps they can rather write a piece about it :)

Question::  What in Your opinion is needed to get Gor as the way it was meant to be?

Bannor::  While there is a lot wrong with the current state of Gor on IRC, I personally dont despair over it too much, because theres a lot right with it as well. Gor has proved to be popular and has grown on the Internet. Perhaps its true that the majority of people who have come along, claiming to be Gorean, or at least wanting to become Gorean, simply haven't measured up. There is, and always has been, a proper Gorean community on IRC. In fact there are several, as IRC Gor is currently rather fragmented. I suppose thats what I would most like to see change. If we could be more united and if there was less inter-channel rivalry the Gorean community would be stronger and more capable of standing up to adversity in whatever form.

Question::  Up till what time should a Gorean Male stand by His Brothers?

Bannor::  Until such time as his Brother/s are wrong and refuse to admit it though they know it themselves. Standing by one's brothers is a tenet of my own philosophy and it would have to be a really bad situation that would make me turn my back on them. I hope it never happens.

Question::  With regards to "Honor, Integrity, and Brotherhood" which to You, holds the most regard? Why?

Bannor::  Honor requrires integrity because to be truly honorable you have to be true to yourself. You can't "act" as an honorable man. You either are one or you are not. Without honor a man is nothing, just a worthless waste of space. Brotherhood is important too, but what kind of brotherhood would the man without honor belong to?

Question::  How much responsibility does one Gorean Male have to another?

Bannor::  That depends on what the relationship between the two is. If they are sword-brothers they have more responsibility towards one another than if they're strangers. So it varies.

Question::  Under what conditions would a Gorean Male move from His home stone?

Bannor::  As far as I know a Gorean never changes his homestone...I stand to be corrected on that though. What does Marcus say? If you are asking the question from an IRC context (ie. what would make a Gorean Male change his allegiance to a different channel) then I can give you an answer from my own personal experience. #silk&steel was the channel in which I discovered Gor and was the only channel I would go to for many months. I guess you could say it was my homestone then, although I was still learning. I was a regular there for about 4 months. However, it reached a stage when I knew I would have to move on.

Firstly I was well aware of the fact that I had zero chance of ever getting ops there because my views and opinions tended to be rather different from all the other regulars there. I befriended the freewoman there while the ops barely tolerated them. I never beat up on the slaves because I had little desire to do that. I was even accused once of "dishonoring Gor" by none other than the slave of Zeb, the man who started it all. Zeb (a man who I have a lot of time for let it be said) gave the girl to me to punish her as I saw fit but since I had no interest in wasting my time laying the girls back open with a whip, I left the channel instead.

After visiting a number of channels which I found downright silly after the strict environment of the #silk&steel I finally came across the place I now call home, which not only welcomed me and my rather strange ways, but was also properly Gorean in the way that I see Gor. (and I even got ops<G> lets face it, what master wants to hang out in a channel for 4 months and still not get ops huh?)

Mastery

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

Bannor::  I personally don't like using physical punishment,. therefore Im not the best person to ask this question of. In fact, in all the time I've been on Gor, I have only once ever used the whip and that was on a kajirus. I have very little time for kajirus since I have yet to meet one who didnt end up causing trouble. They're all either homosexual or HNG. They certainly arent Gorean.

Question::  Is mental punishment more effective than physical?

Bannor::  By far! Lets be realistic. On IRC you cant be truly physically punished. Typing /me cracks the whip over the disobedient slaves back, is not really an effective form of punishment. The exception here are the self-inflictors, of which hopefully there are very few. In fact some subbies get their jollies out of being pretend beaten and abused. We dont need that on Gor.

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

Bannor::  When a slave has displeased me, I ignore her, want nothing more to do with her. I simply treat her with total disdain as if she is nothing in my eyes. This can be extremely hard on the slave as they crave the attention of the master. I can also show the slave that I am angry because I can be a real hard-ass when I'm angry and the slave will do anything to try and mollify my temper :) Most effective<G>

Question::  Is open humiliation a good tool to be used when teaching a slave or correcting one?

Bannor::  Humiliation for the sake of humiliation is bad. It is simply degrading and makes the slave lose respect for herself, which is not a good thing. If a slave has no respect for herself, how can she respect the man who collared her?

Humiliation for a specific purpose, such as to impress upon the slave her lowly status and who her master is, if done right, is a good thing and can in fact be quite erotic for both the master and the slave.

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

Bannor::  When she is disobedient. An important part of being a slave means adhering to a set of rules. These rules may be strict or they may be lenient, depending on the master. Either way, the girl must accept and obey. If she doesn't she must be punished.

I personally dont like using punishment. I prefer to have a girl who is very obedient and seldom needs punishment because I dont enjoy meting it out. But punishment is all part of the master/slave relationship. The rule I advise to follow when punishing a slave is to make the punishment serve a positive purpose ie. to teach the girl where she went wrong and thus not repeat the mistake. A real slave does not deliberately disobey and seek punishment. Unfortunately there are many subbies on IRC who like to play the game of being the naughty slave who gets punished a lot.

Question::  If You noticed a slave fighting her belly, fighting those that sought to teach her -- how would You bring her around?

Bannor::  I think the best way to handle such a situation is to first gain an understanding of it. Why does the slave fight her belly or those that are trying to help her? Once you have the answer to that, you also have the key to unlocking her submission.

Question::  What do You find most provacative in a slave's serve?

Bannor::  Ha ha. Ok you asked for it. Im a "boob" man. I love it when slaves describe how their nipples respond to heat from the firey brew, or the chill from the ice cubes......or whatever<G>

Question::  What do You feel is the most common crime committed by slaves?

Bannor::  There are numerous crimes that slaves commit. Wearing two collars. Changing their nicks without permission. Breaking the restrictions set by their own masters. Simple disobeying of the rules of the hall or tavern which they are currently in. Im not sure which of those is the most common. I've never really thought about it. Theres probably more cases of slaves talking in first person than of wearing two collars. But then its debatable as to wether the first is really a crime. More likely its just a mistake. The latter is definately a crime though. Thats about all I have to say on that.

Question::  What are your feelings regarding same-sex relations among slaves?

Bannor::  Slaves shouldn't have relationships amongst themselves period. The purpose of a slave is to please a master, not themselves. They may engage in sexual acts because the master wishes them to. But for slaves to have actual relationships is a definate no no in my books. As for that relationship being same-sex......Im not homophobic but I dont believe homosexuality has any place on Gor. Gor is clearly about heterosexual relationships between male masters and female slaves or male and female free companionships. As far as I am aware there is no mention in any of the 25 books of any homosexuality.

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

Bannor::  They must both be sure they can give each other what they want. The slave wants to submit. The master want's to dominate. Can he help her further her submission to him? Can she submit to him on the level he requires?

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

Bannor::  No way. I can talk to a slave in a non-Gorean context, where they dont bother with the niceties of Gor like 3rd person etc. but she is still a slave and no slave can ever be my equal. Not in my eyes anyhow.

Question::  Do You require Your slave to be a slave no matter where she is?

Bannor::  Thats an odd question. I dont have to require her to be a slave. She simply is. She cannot be anything else. If you mean, does she behave at all times like a Gorean slave girl as if she was in a paga tavern, the answer of course is no. I expect her to behave like an adult woman on Urth. She will always be submissive and obedient and never forget her true purpose which is to be pleasing to me.

Miscellaneous

Question::  How much roleplaying in a Gorean channel is too much, beyond the typical serving of pretend beverages and food, cyber-whippings, etc?

Bannor::  I love interesting roleplaying. The serving of food and drinks can get mind numbingly boring after a while. Interspersing it with something different and unusual is what makes it worthwhile sitting in and interacting in a channel. It may be a stranger to the channel, claiming to a merchant with some fine wares to sell to the proprietors of the hall. I enjoy playing along with the fellow.

Of course that kind of thing can get overdone and one should be careful not to let roleplaying of this nature take over the channel. Then it becomes a fantasy-roleplaying channel like #dungeons-and-dragons. That seldom happens though.

Question::  Do you think cyber-killing and assassination should be standardized and accepted?

Bannor::  That could certainly make things interesting on Gor. But I expect it would turn IRC Gor into one big fiasco with "assassins" knocking off everyone for the merest perceived slight. No I dont think cyber-killing should be standardized. There is certainly no way that I would allow my IRC Gor character, Bannor, to disappear because some newbie comes into channel and plays a popup about killing me faster than I can kick him into the sleen pit. I have been Bannor for well over a year now. I have developed this persona. I have a whole history. Under no circumstances will I allow Bannor to die and no set of standardized rules can force me to. After all, who would enforce these rules? In fact the whole idea is so nonsensical it doesn't even bear debating about.

The one purpose that cyber-killings serves in its current forms is it lets you know that so and so really hates your guts and wishes you would just disappear. Fair enough. Let it stay that way : )

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

Bannor::  In the time that the Gorean world has existed on IRC, a set of standards and norms has developed. Some examples are: slaves dont have ops, slaves dont say Tal, slaves dont talk in first person, switchers aren't tolerated. A serious Gorean channel adheres to these standards and norms. Rules such as slaves needing to ask permission to enter and leave channels may vary but the basic set rules are in place in any true Gorean channel. The channels, mainly to be found on Austnet from my observation, that dont follow these standards but still call themselves Gorean.....well I believe it is channels such as these that the term disney Gor was invented to describe.

Question::  In real life Gorean relationships, where do you think the Master/slave relationship should begin? Where do you think it should be set aside due to the requirements of our society?

Bannor::  It exists at all times. It is never set aside. Of course, since we do live on Urth and not on Gor we cant openly have sex with our slaves. But remember that the master/slave relationship involves far more than sex. The slave is submissive and subservient to her master always, in any place, under any circumstances, just as the master is always dominant and controlling over his slave. The roleplaying aspects, such as kneeling in nadu etc. exists only in sex games if you're in the mood. I cant see myself expecting my slave to always serve me like that in real life.

Question::  If there was one book out of all the source books You could recommend for a girl to read, what would it be? Why?

Bannor::  I couldnt say since I havent read nearly all the books. I live in South Africa where they are very difficult to come across. I've scoured 2nd hand bookshops for copies with very little success. In fact the books I have got I bought nearly 10 years ago when I was only 14 :) I remember reading them then and thinking, WOW, thats the most chauvinistic thing I ever read. hehe

Of the books that I have read I most enjoyed no2: Outlaw of Gor. There are many very quotable quotes from that book. Unfortunately I dont have my copy of it with me right now so I cant supply any examples, sorry :(

Question::  What is your opinion regarding slaves being on more than one net (DALnet, AUSTnet, etc.) even if they are only technically in one channel at one time?

Bannor::  The reason for having that rule, that slaves can only be in one channel at a time, was created to ensure that the slave was paying full attention to only that channel which she was in. I think thats a good rule. When I call out a slaves name I want her to immediately reply with "yes Master?". I don't want her to chat to her friends in five other channels before eventually getting round to me.

If the slave can maintain that level of attentiveness while being on 2 networks and thus possibly 2 channels good luck to her. But not many can. I expect that the girls who do it will only go into a channel on one of the networks unless they are stupid or wanting to get themselves punished. So what I am saying is, if I want to have the attention of the girl she must be able to give that to me immediately. How she arranges that is her problem :)