The Master is a slave

Ridiculous you say! Blasphemy against Masters and by extension their slaves? But before you judge, let me try to explain the feelings behind this statement.

The times in my life that I have been alone, without a lover, girlfriend, wife, or slave, I have always been motivated by my inner life goals, or what Paulo Coelho terms my personal legend. And although this felt right and fulfilling, it never felt complete. I always felt that there were parts of me that had to remain hidden from my family, friends, and the world. Even with a (non-slave) 'significant other' to confide in I was never able to share all of myself because I 'knew' some of the things I thought and felt were wrong because that was the general consensus in the world around me.

So what does this have to do with Masters being slaves? Although this is something I have been mulling over for a while, Raven Kaldera gave words to the idea in a TSR post describing how he is "not a slave to [his] own dominance" in the context of describing his interactions with the rest of the world. But later in the post he admits that he would choose Mastery above all else if forced to choose. I also feel this way and so in a sense, I am a slave to my dominance. But if that is the root of the Master is a slave concept, there is also a trunk, branches, and leaves.

The trunk is the way that I feel free to expose myself to my slave like no other in this world. I represent myself to the world as being one who doesn't care what others think, but I know that I censor myself to varying degrees when interacting with others. But with a slave, my darkest desires can be voiced, or if I wish made reality. And although I want my slaves to view me as having a certain air of infallibility (while still knowing that I am human and frail like all who have come before), ultimately my failures do not matter to my slave. They are there to serve and worship me both when I stand tall and when I crawl. In this way my slave holds a special place and power in my life that no others in the world do.

The branches grow strong when I relinquish control over aspects of my life by allowing my slave the privilege of serving me in some capacity. I do not easily allow others to serve me unless I have paid for a service, but this is different than service rendered by someone close to me. Allowing my slave to learn how I like my laundry folded or my dishes washed and put away allows her more deeply into my life and consciousness. These branches of accepting service represent another way in which my slave intertwines her life with mine and in doing so makes me aware of my slavery to my dominance.

And what of the leaves? The leaves of this tree of Mastery and slavehood are the ways in which I care for my slave. For although fulfillment of my desires is the raison d'être for my slave, when someone submits themselves completely to me, it brings out strong nurturing feelings in me. I may not give my slave the things she asks for or demands (if she is so impertinent to do so), but I am prepared to utilize all of the facilities at my disposal to ensure that my slave has the things she needs. And beyond her true needs (which are likely few indeed), I like to pamper my slave at times with things I imagine (rightly or wrongly - it is my imagination after all) she will enjoy, from orgasms and gentle caresses to kind words, from material indulgences to exposure to new experiences and ideas. The leaves are another way in which, through my slavery to my Dominance, I am indeed a slave after all. No, not to another person, but to a part of myself.

I can't claim that these views are universal among Masters, and I have clearly taken liberties with the definition of mastery and slavehood to make this argument. A well crafted response to this essay would likely reduce it to no more than a description of the aspects of ownership that motivate and fulfill me. However I think that with the right perspective it may offer Masters a different way to view their relationship with their inner selves and their slaves. If I am very lucky, it may present everyone else an alternative glimpse into the heads of those who call themselves Masters.