I’m devoting this Monday to meditation, reflection and devotion to submission. I hope to select  topics that will get you thinking differently about some part of your life or submission and then just maybe grow a little bit further. If you have ideas for  topics that might work for a Meditation Monday,  please email me.

I want you to take a few minutes right now and write down the labels you use to define yourself in the lifestyle. Look at each of them carefully. Understanding that you can be any labels you wish to, we’re going to try to understand why these labels are the ones we desire. There are far more labels than those here so use and reflect on the labels that work for you.

Common definitions of Submissive Roles

A submissive is a person who submits or potentially submits to another, taking on the submissive role for the duration of a scene or is a submissive partner within a power exchange relationship. They are not necessarily submissive generally.

A slave has usually given the right for their owner to exercise authority over them in some sense, within a relationship that may extend to a full time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Connotatively it refers to a person who has surrendered their personal property and freedoms and become the property or chattel of their owner or Master. Strictly speaking, to be a slave, one must be owned but many people searching for an owner will call themselves “slave” as an indication of the position they are hoping to eventually have.

A bottom is a partner who takes the role of receiver in such acts as bondage, discipline, sadomasochism or humiliation in BDSM scenes or interactions. A ‘Top’ performs acts such as these upon the bottom.

A human pet is simply being a pet without including any specifically animal traits. So no barking or meowing, no ears or tails, treats that are human treats rather than animal treats. Animal pets are trained in the behaviors their Owner wants them to have. They often are taught tricks, have toys, typically a bed or small pet house and are punished if they misbehave.

A “ bratty” submissive has a reputation for talking back, being disrespectful or mildly disobedient. On the surface, this is a negative quality in a submissive; however, a certain amount of “brattiness” is enjoyed by some Dominants, and may in fact be a large component of a power exchange relationship.

  • How well do they fit you?
  • Why did you choose them?
  • What have you read about the labels you use that don’t sit well with you?
  • Is there controversy over your chosen labels?
  • What have you resolved about those controversies?