| SUMMARY DISCUSSION ON SLAVE BEHAVIOR AND COMMUNITY SPECIFIC PROTOCOL |
The following is a basic overview of the behavior of slaves as expected by those of Sardaria. This is not meant to be a complete explanation of the larger subject and all its parts, but a general guide. While the ideas presented here are based on what is found in the Gorean novels, the focus is not on the fictional world, but the motivating factors behind it. The term "slave," as used here, is reflective of the idea of natural slavery, not slavery in its legalized or institutional form. The ideas that are presented can be applied to both online and offline settings. Certain circumstances of course present different considerations but interpretation and application should for the most part be obvious. The same holds true with regard to Gorean notions on slavery within the societal institution of that fictional culture, and their application to one's real life.
"'Women of Earth have often been imbonded,' I said. 'Bondage is no novelty to the Earth female. Her fittingness for the collar has long been recognized. On Earth at this very moment many women are held in public bondage, and many others, it is difficult to conjecture their number, serve in secret bondages. Throughout the course of human history, in the past, as well as today, many women have found themselves enslaved. You, and those with you, are merely another handful of slaves, imbonded females, merely new and fresh instances of a historically familiar commondity.'A Note on "Service"
'Your aunt was then, perhaps, trying to convey to you that your most congenial and appropriate destiny, what might be best for you, what might be most natural for you, would be for you to find yourself naked in the arms of a man.'
'The only sense in which you are a new slave,' I said. 'is that it has not been long since your legal imbondment.'
'For years, you have been a slave,' I said, 'only one who was not yet properly owned, a technicality recently remedied on Gor.'"- SAVAGES OF GOR, Pg. 172, 177, 183
In many online and offline settings, the primary focus of "slave behavior" discussions revolves around instruction on stylized slave posturing and ritualistic forms of beverage service. In Sardaria, the word "service" simply means a slave responding to the request of a master. Text based presentation of cyber drinks, food, dancing, and the like are not what we consider to be truly important when viewing a Gorean master/slave relationship. Individual masters may be interested in such things as a means of instruction, and these can have their place, but generally the group as a whole does not focus on these possibilities as a priority. A slave may well be involved with Sardaria for months and never enter a situation where she will be called upon to do these types of things, for they are simply not our routine or focus of interest and involvement. All too often people improperly fall into a rut of thinking that these practices and displays are the measure of the Gorean master and slave, their ability, knowledge and "seriousness." Our opinion is to the contrary and is focused on introspection, growth of understanding, community, and more subtle, pervasive examples of "living a life," than some readily repeated protocol that is more a display of memorization and pretend, than understanding and obeisance. Slave Behavior
"Do not concern yourself in this matter, with the values of others, and particularly of men, or of those who desire to be imitative of men, but seek to find your own female values, the deepest and most feminine values in your being, those of your deepest self. Try to find out who you are, in the depths of your most complete femaleness, and then dare to be what, truely, you are,"It is not so much the "depths of submission" that a slave seeks to reach, but the depths of her own femininity. Gorean philosophy does not seek to oppress the female, but to glorify those qualities that are unique and particular to her and her sex. Slavery and submission are a possible path to this goal, and a means through which greater understanding can be attained, but they are not the goal itself and their form need not be identical in all cases. While femininity might go hand in hand with these things, one should keep in mind that a woman living a Gorean lifestyle is not so much seeking to learn what it is to be a slave, as she is seeking to learn what it is to be female, and be herself.- MERCENARIES OF GOR, Pg. 176
"What are my duties?' I asked.Let the words of the above quote be applied to all that you do and how you proceed to do it. Obedience is the prime directive of the slave girl, for as a slave, she has surrendered her will to that of another, who is acknowledged as having the right to command and be responded to with compliance. Failure for a slave occurs when she seeks her own personal objectives at the expense of her obedience. Beauty is to be exquisite and all encompassing. It is defined not simply as beauty of feature, but beauty in all manner of form and display. This includes how the slave carries herself, conducts herself, expresses herself and fulfills commands. The two come together to direct that the slave be beautiful in her obedience, with her not simply obeying commands, but seeking to fulfill them in the most beautiful and pleasing manner possible.
'Exquisite beauty and absolute obedience.'"- SLAVE GIRL OF GOR, Pg. 261
"Nothing is owed to you. You are a slave."While a happy slave might be more pleasing in both demeanor and service to a man, men are not obligated to fulfill or please their slaves. The obligation is on the slave towards the master, not the other way around. This does not mean that men commonly leave their slaves unfulfilled, or intentionally abuse them emotionally. Such acts are self-defeating, for the miserable slave will serve less effectively, besides there simply being little sense in possessing a woman you seem to not truly enjoy in a healthy way. But it is often the most pleasing slaves that find themselves happy under the hand of a master who is happy with them.- MAGICIANS OF GOR, Pg. 204
"There was a time for slaves, and a time for matters of importance."Slaves are not the center of attention, the free are. Those that demand attention though word or action, might get a type of attention other than what they desired. The girl who seeks to be pleasing in all ways will receive the attention of men who wish to be pleased. The girl who cares only for her wants and desires will be left to contemplate them alone.- EXPLORERS OF GOR, Pg. 15
"It is the duty of a slave girl to be fully and completely pleasing to men. Were she not so she would be subject to severe punishment, including even torture and death, should it be the master's wish."In all things, service, dance, use, duties, the primary concern of a slave is her master, in that he is to be fully pleased in every way with her. A slave lives to become the perfect possession of her owner, that which fulfills his desires and accomplishes tasks set to her as he would wish.- SLAVE GIRL OF GOR, Pg. 226
"'Yes Master, of course Master,' I said. I was a female slave. I existed now for the the pleasure of men. It was what I was for."The foremost quality of any form of service is the girl's respect for her Master, and her desire to be found pleasing. A girl who tries to serve well and is seen to truly want to be pleasing, is often far better then a girl whose motions are flawless, but whose desire is lacking. A slave's service in Sardaria reflects this. There is no "expected form," other than that the individual being served, be pleased.- DANCER OF GOR, Pg. 141
"Each of them I suspected would be intelligent, for Goreans, as the men of Earth commonly do not, celebrate quickness of mind and alertness in a girl."- ASSASSIN OF GOR, Pg. 125
"The intelligence and sensitivity of many women actually tends to blossom in bondage, finding within it the apt environment for its expression, for its flowering. This may have to do with such matters as the release of inhibitions, happiness, fulfillment, and such."Gorean masters desire intelligence and creativity as much as physical beauty in their slaves, and service is to be done with such in mind. Repetition and banality are the signs of a slave with little skill and ability. Seek to always improve on what you have and add new ideas to excite the desire and interests of men.- MAGICIANS OF GOR, Pg. 194
"Yet every part of a female body is beautiful to a Gorean, a hand, a wrist, an ankle, the back of a knee, the turn of a thigh, the sweet, soft hair, almost invisible and delicate, below and behind the ear. Each part bespeaks the glory and wonder and promise of the whole. I have heard Gorean men cry out with joy at the sight of a woman."Slave girls are beautiful in all that they are and do, not just in figure, but in form, manner, wit, grace, style, mind, speech, and attitude. Beauty is a sum of being, and to a slave is a half of the definition of her existence, the other half being absolute obedience.- SLAVE GIRL OF GOR, Pg. 236
"In the eyes of Gorean law you are an animal. You have no name in your own right. You may be collared and leashed. You may be bought and sold, whipped, treated as the master pleases, disposed of as he sees fit. You have no rights whatsoever. Legally you have no more status than a tarsk or vulo. Legally, literally, you are an animal."- EXPLORERS OF GOR, Pg. 316
"If you are interested in these matters, you are not simply an animal in the literal sense, in the biological sense of 'animal,' but in the sense that persons, individuals with rights before the law, are distinguished from animals."A slave is as the word implies, a slave. She is not defined as something that is to be put on a pedestal and cherised by the doting master who she has blessed with her presence. That is not slavery, but something else. While the Gorean institution of slavery, and its resulting views on the slave girl are not the same as what our modern society supports, the ideas behind these things can still be observed and applied in the lifestyle while remaining within the confines of the law and responsibility.- EXPLORERS OF GOR, Pg. 316
"Lack of compliance by a slave girl to a command in the Gorean world is unthinkable. She obeys."A Gorean slave girl is not "bratty" or childishly insolent. To such a girl, the command of a master is of paramount importance. She does not contest or violate this, but does as she is told. The thought that a slave girl might disobey, challenge, or make complaint against the command of a Gorean master, is not just something not done, it is "unthinkable." This is not so much out of fear of punishment or reprimand, or even the desire to be pleasing, but simply because they do not think to be actively and consciously insolent. Slaves might be found lacking, or commit an error, but they do not do so out of rebellion or premeditated intent, this is just not a concept that crosses the mind of the Gorean slave girl. Conditions in our modern society necessitate that commands and responses to them be both in accordance with the law and issued from responsible consideration. While a slave girl does not contradict the commands of her master, she likewise cannot be expected to perform commands that are inconsistent with common sense, sanity and responsibility. It should perhaps be added that Gorean masters do not tend to command their girls to do things that subject their property to possible damage or destruction in the first place, nor do they "play games" with them, in the sense of childish toying. This is not to say though, that an owner cannot do these things if he wants to, for a slave is a slave, but what they could do is not always what they would do. The question of whether a slave should obey a potentially harmful command is thus one more or less moot. While she should obey all commands, such harmful directives normally will not be faced, with subsequent dilemma thus avoided. If put in such a position, the girl should seriously consider what has been asked of her.- SLAVE GIRL OF GOR, Pg. 125
"Insubordination, slaves are quickly taught, is not acceptable, in any way, to the Gorean master."When an individual claims to be a slave girl, she is such wherever she presents herself, be it online or off. This includes any and all forms of Internet contact including message boards, mailing groups, IMs and chat rooms, no matter how "Gorean" these may or may not be. Offline settings can hold certain considerations, with protocol being defined by one's owner as fits the situation. This does not mean that one must walk through the world loudly declaring "I am a slave" to all they meet, but that who and what you are should be constantly kept in mind and applied to how you act and behave. One's femininity and submission need not be compromised, even if those in your workplace, for example, do not know that you are owned. Act in accordance with the expectations of the location, as further defined by your Master, and don't lose sight of what is inside of you. A word more should be said with regard to message boards and mailing groups. When a slave posts to a board she does so as a slave, meaning the same considerations which must be made when speaking in any public setting still hold. Slaves do not enter the conversations of the free, especially arguments or discussions that do not at all involve them, even if doing so is to support her own master. For a slave to come to the defense of a free person is to harm and insult that man far more than simply not getting involved at all. Think before you act, you can easily ask the advice of others, or share your ideas directly with your owner. No matter how right your argument may be, you defeat it by being wrong in arguing in the first place. Likewise, if you are in a discussion and you forget your proper place as a slave, no matter how right your points may be, you have lost something far more important than any verbal debate.- KAJIRA OF GOR, Pg. 123
"The Gorean slave girl does not compete with the master, but serves him."To compete with or challenge men can be seen as a contradiction of the Gorean view on the natural relationship of the sexes, to say the least of being not at all in keeping with the idea of slavery. Women that do so normally seek attention, and desire to be put in their place, for a woman that is secure in what she is has no true need to prove herself against the opposite sex. Free women sometimes are known for this activity, but examples in the books usually end in a much needed collaring, with their prior activity just being a call for that. Slave girls do not even think to do this, not only for the obvious reasons, but because each time one engages is such an activity, she pushes herself farther from her own slavery. Slaves are never to question a master's wishes, at least not in the sense of trying to contradict, mock or prove wrong. If confused, there is always a polite way to ask for clarification, in the quest to properly fulfill the given command. Further instruction is acceptable, but anything that could be considered insolent or unnecessary by a master is first suggested to not be asked at all, but if such must be, do so in the manner of a slave.- EXPLORERS OF GOR, Pg. 39
"Slave girls on Gor address all free men as Master, all free women as Mistress."Slaves refer to the free as "Master" and "Mistress." All are given this respect and appropriate title at all times.- HUNTERS OF GOR, Pg. 65
"Goreans are extremely sensitive about names, and who may speak them. Similarly, slaves on the whole, do not address free men by their names."Furthermore, slaves do not refer to the free by their proper names. Free persons are called, "Master" and "Mistress" at all times. Slaves may indicate who they are speaking to through other means, for example, through the use of thoughts...- ASSASSINS OF GOR, Pg. 12
"::dina looks to Master Tarl:: Master, may I speak?"
"Master (Tarl), may this girl serve you?"
"Yes, Master [Tarl]"But slaves do not use the proper names of free persons, nor do they assume they have the "right" to. The use of a name is the privelege of the free.
"'It is common,' I said, 'for a slave to request permission to speak.'"Slaves do not speak out of turn, interrupt the free, or take it upon themselves to feel they have the given right to add their opinions to a discussion that has not been said to concern them. In many cases opening a conversation will be fine, but assess the situation before you begin. Ask politely to speak, before proceeding to do so. Slaves may only add a comment when allowed. This permission is in most cases implied, but do not take it for granted at all times.- EXPLORERS OF GOR, Pg. 39
"'It seems,' said I, 'Midice, I have won you.'Girls are to speak as fits the given situation and the desire of those in attendance, and of course as their owner's command. Slaves may generally speak in either first person or third person, so long as proper deference is shown and those spoken to are pleased. Slaves are not to speak in a manner that imitates childlike behavior or "baby-talk." Intelligence is something prized by Gorean men, not feared, avoided, or denounced.
'Yes,' she said, 'you have won me. I am your slave.'"- RAIDERS OF GOR, Pg. 114
"'Who repents of the error of her ways?' I asked.Third person speech is often used to emphasize a plea or to beg forgiveness, with the master commanding the girl to "speak as a slave." It is also sometimes used in training to better acquaint the girl with her collar. Online this is often used to help keep a girl's place in her mind and displayed through her words, for the limited exposure the Internet provides is not at all like what face to face interaction is. Thus, the use of third person in a consistent manner is a means to help somewhat compensate for this lack of true exposure. While this can be effective in some cases, in others it just makes a girl get used to a routine form of data entry, with any impact dwindling in time. In Sardaria the use of first or third person speech is left to the discretion of the owner and those the given slave is interacting with at the given time.
'Tafa repents of the error of her ways!' she said.
'Who is sorry, who begs forgiveness?' I asked.
'Tafa is sorry! Tafa begs forgiveness!' she said"- MAGICIANS OF GOR, Pg. 123
"At his entrance Susan put the palms of her hands on the floor and lowered her head to the tiles, assuming a position of slave obeisance common with her in the presence of her master. I wondered if Ligurious's slave master required this position of all of his women. I supposed so."A slave need not beg to enter a room or "greet" each attending free person individually. A general obeisance to those in the room is deemed acceptible, with the slave then proceeding to behave as appropriate for her in the given place. These things may be changed as one's owner demands, or if a given room has its own protocol, but slaves should take notice of the difference between being polite and being annoying. A slave must beg to leave the presence of free persons. This also includes going "afk" online, with the girl asking before proceeding to do so. If an emergency occurs, this might be overlooked but the girl is expected to explain why before going if possible, and when she returns if not. A girl being allowed to enter a Sardarian room by her owner (even if he is not of Sardaria), equates to that owner agreeing to the protocol of that room. His allowance is indicative of his having agreed to what the room is, what it expects, and his property being present in such conditions. Her attendance comes with it the expectation that she will obey the directives of the location. Property left to roam does not carry with it "rights" that override the desires of others in their own "home."- KAJIRA OF GOR, Pg. 157
"The main reason why a slave kneels, of course, aside from such subtle and complex considerations, is simply that she is a slave, and that the position, accordingly, is appropriate for her."- DANCER OF GOR, Pg. 156-157
"'A girl,' I told her, 'on entering the compartment of her master, kneels.'Slave girls may behave within a room as would be fitting for them in such a place. This is limited by whatever makes the free persons attending happy, and by what is obviously annoying.
'Furthermore,' I said, 'commonly, in the presence of a free man, the girl kneels.'"- TRIBESMEN OF GOR, Pg. 46-47
"This was in full accord with Gorean law. Indeed, anything, for whatever reason, or without a reason, may be done to a slave."As a slave, you are owned, and you do as your owner tells you. Punishment for not living up to this is not something that should be surprising, it is fully expected and agreed with. Insolence can not only invoke general discipline, but can lead to you being permanently removed if the lesson seems to not be learned after repeated correction. Slaves are to be pleasing and obedient, at all times, even when they do not wish to be.- GUARDSMAN OF GOR, Pg. 115
"Gorean men are not easy with their slaves, even those for whom they care deeply."Discipline can and will be harsh, especially in regard to those kajirae wishing to cause petty arguments or problems. Simple mistakes and errors are expected as the training of a girl proceeds. Jealousy within reason is deemed natural, as slaves are only pretty little animals. But insolent blurring, attempted manipulation and the interesting phenomena known as "ubara kajirae," will not be tolerated. There are always more kajirae in the sea.- EXPLORERS OF GOR, Pg. 15
"'You cannot punish me!' she cried. 'You are not my masters!'Simply put, if a slave is found displeasing, she can and will be punished. It is expected that the offended master will act within reason and not overstep the bounds of what is considered reasonable when disciplining an errant slave girl. If correction is of a lasting form or one that will take some time to complete, it is considered courteous for the offended master to inform the given owner of what occurred and what is the resulting response to it. These things should not infringe upon the unquestionable property rights of the owner, conflicting with his own directives or entitlements.
'Any free person can punish an errant slave girl,' I said. 'Surely you do not think that her behavior fails to be subject to supervision and correction as soon as she is out of her Master's sight?'"- MAGICIANS OF GOR, Pg. 225
"The discipline of a slave may be attended to by any free person, otherwise she might do much what she wished, provided only her Master did not learn of it. The legal principle is clear, and has been upheld in several courts, in several cities, including Ar."The correction of one's property when they are not in attendence is not an offense or insult, but rather a service to the owner, as it makes his possession better. Free persons do not worry about a "whipped slave."- MAGICIANS OF GOR, Pg. 122
"A slave may have the use of goods, but she may not own them. It is she who is goods, she who is owned."Slaves are possessions, and thus "possess" nothing. Even the name of a slave is not hers, but is what her master chooses to call her.- HUNTERS OF GOR, Pg. 93
