October 16 1997
- Guest
Columnist: Mastiff
- There are
many debates which rage across what we consider to be our
community of those who are Gorean. Some thought to be
major discussions, encompassing what is felt to be
"of Gor", or whether IRC relationships can ever
be this way. Some quite minor, which may consist of
ceremonial or serving issues. But the common theme that
can always be seen threading through many arguments is
that through the definitions the debater can say, "I
am more Gorean".
- While I have
found myself guilty of this very kind of action in the
past, it seems to me lately that introspection is the
key. Deciding who and what follows the philosophy for
oneself is the entire matter. Being Gorean does not come
from reading all 25 of Norman's works, it does not come
from listening to the council of other Goreans, it does
not come from collaring a woman (or taking a collar) on
IRC or real life. These are simply the tools to use in
learning about oneself, and the process should not end.
Simply put, knowing ones own desires and feelings, and
acting on them, is what makes a Gorean.
- Honor has a
place here among all of us. In fact, you might be shunned
from places if you do not act with honor. It is certainly
a high goal, and one worthy of attaining, but it also
must come from within. No one gave give it... no one can
take it... and only the individual can live it in life.
As for slaves, they also must consider what the collar
means to them. Even if it is only placed on IRC, it
should still have some meaning back on this wretched
earth. The slaves written about so extensivly have no
choice, but slaves of earth certainly do. The question
then becomes, would you enter into this slavery if you
knew there were no escape?
- Masters, I
ask you... Given the choice, would you drop what you have
here on this planet, and travel to distant Gor if it
existed? Yes, the rewards could be terrific. You may have
slaves, a lengthy lifespan, a world devoid of pollution
as we know it. But, the dangers are there as well. Would
you be good enough to live by a sword? Or might you die
by it. Could you have the savvy to trade goods? Or would
you end up in poverty. Could you heal the sick? Or would
many die as you try to save them... Gor is not fair.
There is not much quarter given and there is no welfare.
You might flourish, or you may wither and die. Would it
be a risk worth taking? Hypothetical questions are often
easy to answer, but these next could be more difficult.
- Masters and
slaves, I also ask you... What are you willing to give up
here on earth to be true to yourself? Are you willing to
give answers to those who will likely misunderstand you?
Or even understand perfectly... and consider you deviant.
Trust me, you will be asked what "that rock" is
doing prominently displayed on the mantle. Are you
willing to lose friends over your attitudes? Are you
willing to lose a job? Goreans, you see, are not very
often politically correct... And the most difficult, are
you willing to lose family? While the blood relatives
might just write you of as eccentric, the wife or husband
will probably not be tolerant. There is no judge in the
land who will grant you custody of children if you are
honest on the stand... are you willing? For a time, it is
possible to separate one from the other, but eventually
the gorean philosophy take hold of those who are true and
it will change them. Then you find that living a lie can
tear you up inside.
- Goreans, I
ask you... what are you willing to do?
I
wish you well, Mastiff of Ar
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