allthatjaz -> RE: Pondering on power, authority, and control in relationships (2/1/2011 3:55:14 PM)
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I don't think testing is a conscious thing within a relationship but tests come up all the time because that's what life throws at you. Now I am not a submissive and so when I got into a relationship with Steve I was certainly not subconsciously testing for his dominance, or so I thought. What I quickly noticed about Stephen was his ability to be consistent. He was consistent in what he wanted out of life, what he expected from our relationship, in the way he makes decisions and absolutely consistent in the way he interacts with me. He also has the ability to listen, reason, take on board and find solutions. These attributes I found highly attractive and I worked out very quickly that this was probably the most dominant man I had and will ever meet... but AH, I wasn't looking for a dominant man or was I? What I now realize I was looking for was strength of character and although I had seen strong characters before, they failed to be consistent and so that character eventually weakened. They dropped clues and I suppose that's what I mean by the test. Now don't get me wrong, Steve has his vulnerable moments, don't we all and I have to be just as strong for him as he is for me. That's joint responsibility regardless of whether I'm submissive or not. Take a child and its parents. If a child asks for something and the parent gives a clear yes or no then that child knows and accepts. If on the other hand the child is told 'maybe later' that child will wait in anticipation and likely nag that parent for a 'yes' Eventually the parent loses patience and says 'oh okay then' but tomorrow when the child asks for that very same thing the parent may give a different answer. A child that never knows what reaction he/she will get from its parents is a confused one. Now I know some people are going to say 'ah yes but we are not children'. Psychology doesn't change as we age. People don't tend to feel safe with inconsistent people but many people are inconsistent. I spent many years with an inconsistent adult and I never for one moment expected he could make a decision or have the ability to give me a straight answer. Being inconsistent meant I never really knew him because there was no predictability. Its wishy washy and there are plenty of dominants out there with wishy washy personalities. When I was looking for a new man in my life I was looking for the exact opposite of that and I didn't need a submissive bone in my body to want it. Steve stood the test of time and that I suppose is what I am meaning when I so badly write about the word 'test' edited because I could!
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