Respect For The Lifestyle

I am not sure as to why this happens but it seems like there are many who have little regard for this way of life. Even those who are supposedly "owned" tend to make a mockery of how we live. Perhaps this is due to the immaturity of those who are involved or maybe they are just playing games. Regardless of the reasoning, there appears to be only a few who truly take this lifestyle seriously.

In my last post, I wrote about the need to post one's entire life online to make one feel worthy. This is a form of disrespect for this way of life in my opinion. When one is sharing all the details of a scene he or she was involved in, this is the equivalent of bragging. There is no reason to share all your experiences in this way of life.

To contrast this, I analogize this to marriage. What would you think of a person who shared all the details of his or her sex life? Do you know the reputation that person acquires? What kind of respect does this show for his or her spouse? Certainly, I am not one who is uptight and hellbent on protocol. Nevertheless, there is a basic degree of respect people show themselves and others.

I am reminded of who usually shares they got "laid": teenage boys. They need to brag to their friends to make themselves feel better. It is a way to fit in. I see the same parallel to those in this lifestyle. The need to express what one is doing is done in an effort to prove that what he or she has is real. Of course, this is often done by those who are living an "online" life. There is no need to share reality since it speaks for itself.

Sadly, people like this quickly become a joke. This might be a judgmental approach but I feel the need to call it as I see it. The Internet is a valuable tool to share information and experiences with newer people. My personal preference is to share experiences only as they will help others. All the gory details are not necessary to prove my standing within this way of life. I know what choices I made and how I live. The desire to prove to others is minimal.

We live according to certain protocols for a reason. The basic truth is that everything has a certain way of doing things. Those who adhere to the basic tenets of a particular discipline are showing respect for it. For example, religious institutions all have protocols they follow. The believers of that faith show their loyalty and respect by following them. Non-believers take a different approach. The same is true here. Those who are serious about the lifestyle act like adults and remember to have respect for those involved.

Remember this idea the next time you have the desire to post something that many would believe is inappropriate. Contrary to what you might think, you do not live in a vacuum. Ideas get passed along, sometimes with harmful results.

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