TPE: Alternative Realities

[JMohegan]

Jmohegan: Total power exchange means that one individual has ceded control over every aspect of his/her life to another individual.

i understand what it means if A has power over B, and, perhaps, if B has arranged that it be so. i never have understood the "exchange" part.

Etoile saidI've seen a lot of people refer to TPE as an "ancient" or historical practice. I kind of think of it differently...because in olden days, women didn't give themselves to their husbands so much as just automatically belonged to them and served them

point taken. it used to be B's dad that arranged for her to be under her husband, A's power. now B herself arranges to be under A's power. B's dad, of course, may have made an exchange: he gets the 10 goats, the hubby gets A's daughter to use as he sees fit.

as to what B gets for going [of her own accord, in our times] under A's power; some say 'love', some say 'security'. if that's so, then B has "exchanged" love or security for power over her life.

Why "exchange"? Don't really know. I didn't invent the term TPE or any of the others, for that matter.

I remember the first time I heard the word submissive. I laughed out loud. Not sure why, but the sound of it somehow has never seemed right to me.

I do like the word Dominant, though. Sounds very masculine and powerful.

But "Dom" always makes think of DeLuise, so I don't really like that at all.

My partners and I have never referred to ourselves as Dominant and submissive. We just call each other by our names, or refer to each other as "partners".

As to what we each get from the relationship, you say you understand what the one on the Top side gets more so than from the other side of the coin. You talk about love and security, but that doesn't really cover it.

She gets me. And I know how to meet her needs, just like she knows how to meet mine. With the right woman, I can make her happy. Breathtakingly, beautifully, blindingly happy.

That's what she gets.

 

[JMohegan]

In my opinion the words we are using don't actually really, well, exist. We've taken the Webster definitions and molded them into a lifestyle that isn't really recognized and accepted (like religion or sexual identity is) by the rest of the world. If you twist something hard enough, it's not likely going to spring back to its original shape. Words and their definitions are no different. We've twisted them to make them flexible enough to fit all the nooks and crannies our lifestyle is so fond of...we can't really have it both ways.

Good post. I agree.

 

[Etoile]

the inner knowledge I did not need to do this to survive or be taken care of...I did it because I wanted to.

That is so sweet. I don't know why I find it that way, but I do. It just sounds lovely to me.

Etoile, I hope you won't mind if I asked a few TPE-related questions. If you, or anyone else, does, please disregard this, or let me know if you think it requires a new thread.

Of course I wouldn't mind! If you came in asking about handcuffs or hair pulling, I might be slightly perturbed, but why would I mind a continuation or expansion of the topic at hand?