I think those four axes are a good starting point - better than the conventional D/s-S/m axes. Obviously someone's coordinates may change dramatically with moods, etc. I think there are some complications, though, in your system. Are all the possible combinations definable? Is it possible for someone to be an active receiver? At face-value those seem a bit oxymoronic - how can someone be the receiver of his/her own action? Although the axis labels are easy to remember, I think they would need to be more explicitly defined.
I think that's why the standard labels are so persistent, despite the varying definitions. Dominance and submission is a state of mind and power. Who has the *power* in a relationship between two people. D/s exists all the time. Being a Dominant is part of who I am. I cannot change that. Top vs bottom is almost exclusively a scene dynamic. That falls in line with your "Active or passive" differentiation. In my mind I consider Top/bottom to be just that - who is doing what to whom? With these two axes all four combinations are definable:
Dominant Top Dominant bottom submissive Top submissive bottom
...with varying degrees, as illustrated on a Cartesian plane (oh, did I mention that I was a math major in college? LOL)
Sadism vs masochism is, in my opinion, completely separate. Being a personal preference, sadism or masochism doesn't change with a scene, and it isn't always relevant to a scene. I see it as more of a fetish - a prop in a scene. Sadism/masochism is a manifestation of the combination of other dynamics. That being said, I would not see an issue with adding it as another axis, if someone felt that it was an important part of their identity.
I agree with the rest of what you wrote - as a Dominant who loves being flogged, I find myself always having difficulty explaining myself and I am always unsure of how other people will react to my explanation. And hell, sometimes I still don't really know where I fall.
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Date: 2011-05-11 04:18 pm (UTC)I think those four axes are a good starting point - better than the conventional D/s-S/m axes. Obviously someone's coordinates may change dramatically with moods, etc. I think there are some complications, though, in your system. Are all the possible combinations definable? Is it possible for someone to be an active receiver? At face-value those seem a bit oxymoronic - how can someone be the receiver of his/her own action? Although the axis labels are easy to remember, I think they would need to be more explicitly defined.
I think that's why the standard labels are so persistent, despite the varying definitions. Dominance and submission is a state of mind and power. Who has the *power* in a relationship between two people. D/s exists all the time. Being a Dominant is part of who I am. I cannot change that. Top vs bottom is almost exclusively a scene dynamic. That falls in line with your "Active or passive" differentiation. In my mind I consider Top/bottom to be just that - who is doing what to whom? With these two axes all four combinations are definable:
Dominant Top
Dominant bottom
submissive Top
submissive bottom
...with varying degrees, as illustrated on a Cartesian plane (oh, did I mention that I was a math major in college? LOL)
Sadism vs masochism is, in my opinion, completely separate. Being a personal preference, sadism or masochism doesn't change with a scene, and it isn't always relevant to a scene. I see it as more of a fetish - a prop in a scene. Sadism/masochism is a manifestation of the combination of other dynamics. That being said, I would not see an issue with adding it as another axis, if someone felt that it was an important part of their identity.
I agree with the rest of what you wrote - as a Dominant who loves being flogged, I find myself always having difficulty explaining myself and I am always unsure of how other people will react to my explanation. And hell, sometimes I still don't really know where I fall.