What does it mean to be Gorean?
To Be Gorean…
From time to time, when I am speaking with other Free, I hear the words “I am learning”. or “Where do I go to learn to be Gorean”? Frankly, I’m not sure that the Gorean mind-set is something that can be taught. I don’t know WHY I am Gorean or when I BECAME Gorean. I only know that I am. Gor just IS.
There is a wealth of knowledge in RLC regarding the details and customs of the Gorean lifestyle. Learning these is a matter of research and experience.
What I have collected here, are some quotes from the books that might help draw a perspective regarding what the characteristics of a Gorean Free might look like.
Do Not Ask how to be Gorean, for the question IS the answer.
“Being Gorean” will manifest differently in every individual, be they Free or slave. Be what you are. Be yourself. The “Gorean” inside you will come out in your behaviors and your actions. All you have to do is let it.
“Do not ask the stones or the trees how to live, they cannot tell you; they do not have tongues, do not ask the wise man how to live for, if he knows, he will know he cannot tell you; if you would learn how to live, do not ask the question, its answer is not in the question but in the answer, which is not in words; do not ask how to live, but, instead, proceed to do so.” (Marauders of Gor)
Be a Man (or Free Woman)
We are the Free. We rule ourselves. As a Man or as a (Free Woman), behave that way. Other Free can try to tell us what to do, but at the end of the day they hold no power over us. WE decide to do or not do, as we see fit. Never surrender that. The slaves will quiver if you stand fast in your strength of will.
“Too, I knew, from my own experience, that nothing fulfils maleness like the mastery. He who would be a man must be a master. He who surrenders his mastery surrenders his manhood.” (Players of Gor)
“The men of Gor, she said, are strong. They are not weak and divided against themselves. They are not tortured. They are integrated and coherent, and proud. They see themselves in the order of nature. They see females as females, as slaves, and themselves as men, as masters. If we do not please them they punish us, or slay us. We quickly learn our place in the order of things. Only where there are true men can there be true women."
(Rogue of Gor)
Be a Gentleman until it is time to NOT be a Gentleman.
OK. I kinda stole that from ‘Roadhouse’. I believe the exact quote is… “Ask him to walk, be nice, if he won't walk, walk him, but be nice, If you can't walk him, one of the others will help you and you will both be nice...I want you to remember, that it's the job, it's nothing personal. I want you to be nice... until it's time... to not be nice”
People think of us as Arrogant, Pompous and even Brutal. While it is true we CAN be those things, those things do not define us. We can approach them safely but we should never truly BE those things…
This too is largely the difference between Goreans and BDSM'rs
“ On the whole, however, Goreans tend to be remarkably free of vulgarity, perhaps because their world is, on the whole, so much more innocent, natural and conducive to human happiness than at least one other world. There is thus a paradox of sorts which arises. The Gorean will often tend to be courteous and refined in his speech, and yet, in action, direct and forceful, sometimes even ruthless and brutal. We thus have the combination of a gentleman and an uncompromising master in one, with that of a slave and lady in one. But then I suppose that this is not really so difficult to understand. If you are a male, reading this, ask yourself what you would rather have at your slave ring, lying there naked and chained, looking up at you, cringing in the shadow of your whip, a simple, slovenly, vulgar-mouthed slut or a highly intelligent, cultured, refined lady.” (Prize of Gor)
Master your girl. Your goal is not to change her or to beat her into submission. She wants to submit. She needs to submit. Let her! Master her! The rewards of true mastery have no limits.
"It is one thing to own a woman," I said, "and it is another to have her within the bonds of an excellent mastery." (Magicians of Gor)
We are not Cruel.
In my personal blogs (Potente_LWH) there is an item simply titled “An Analogy”. It speaks to the results befalling a Free who is Kind versus a Free who is Cruel.
Goreans value their possessions and treat them with care and pride.
"Perhaps it should only be added that the Gorean Master, though strict, is seldom cruel. The girl knows, if she pleases him, her lot will be an easy one. She will almost never encounter sadism or wanton cruelty, for the psychological environment that tends to breed these diseases is largely absent from Gor. This does not mean that she will not expect to be beaten if she disobeys, or fails to please her Master." (Outlaw of Gor)
“The slave, it might be noted, is seldom, if ever, treated with gratuitous or wanton cruelty. She is subject to that, but what would be the point of it? To a Gorean such things would be incomprehensible, or absurd. What is important is the mastery, and firmness, to be sure a mastery and a firmness which is uncompromising and exacting, categorically and absolutely so, but also one which is commonly taken for granted, by both the master and the slave.”
(Swordsmen of Gor)
There is no greater life for a slave, when her Master treats her well and acts in her best interests. She will be happy and fulfilled and will worship the ground her master walks on and she will trust him with her very life.
"I do not find it difficult to believe, Master," she whispered. "Merely to look at the curtains excites me." She touched her collar. "Merely to touch my collar excites me. To kneel on the furs, to feel them on my body, to be kneeling itself, before a man, excites me. To be naked before him, on my knees, makes me miserable with the desire for his touch." (Explorers of Gor)
"And what Master may not understand," she said, "is that we wish to be choiceless. We want our will to mean nothing." Cabot was silent. "Our bondage is a way of life," she said. "We want to belong, to be owned, to kneel, to submit, to serve, wholly and helplessly. Our servitude, our submission, our categorical surrender, our helplessness, is important to us. We love being what we are. Our brands, our collars, are precious to us. Our bondage is our freedom, our servitude our liberty." (Kur of Gor)
The Matter of Honor
We see this word “Honor” batted around everywhere. “Live with Honor”, “Above all, Honor” etc... Sometimes I wonder if hearing it so much takes away from its meaning. At the end of the day. Be true to yourself. Treat people the way you want to be treated. You have to give respect to get respect. When you give your word, stand by it. When you make a decision, stand by it. Don’t sit in dark corners and whisper about people. If you have something to say to someone, say it to their face. When you consider “Honor” don’t get hung up on the word. Live the meaning of it.
"I sat there in the darkness and wondered on honor, and courage. If they were shams, I thought them most precious shams. How else could we tell ourselves from urts and sleens? What distinguishes us from such beasts? The ability to multiply and subtract, to tell lies, to make knives? No, I think particularly it is the sense of honor, and the will to hold one's ground." (Marauders of Gor)
I love this next quote. It speaks to the “Art of War” and the idea that a clever general does not charge up every hill with the arrogance to believe that he can win every battle he sees. He lets his enemy’s define his battles and HE chooses the time to fight and most often, by his choice, he also chooses the time to win. There is honor in knowing when to fight, when to stand, and when to stand back. Let the weak run around fighting each other.
“In the codes of the warriors, there is a saying; 'Be strong, and do as you will. The swords of others will set you your limits.'” (Marauders of Gor)
We can still Learn
Finally, just because we are strong does not mean we possess all knowledge. There is always more to learn and more to experience. We learn from our mentors, we learn from our peers, we learn from watching, we learn from our own actions, and we learn from experience. Never underestimate the value of watching the slaves. Their behavior reflects the depth of your mastery. A wise Gorean will never stop learning and, in fact, will seek knowledge from ANY source. Knowledge is Power.
“I looked at my father. "I am sorry," I said, "that Ko-ro-ba was destroyed." My father laughed. "Ko-ro-ba was not destroyed," he said. I was puzzled, for I myself had looked upon the valley of Ko-ro-ba and had seen that the city had vanished...
"Here," said my father, reaching into a leather sack that he wore slung about his shoulder, "is Ko-ro-ba," and he drew forth the small, flat Home Stone of the City, in which Gorean custom invests the meaning, the significance, the reality of a city itself. "Ko-ro-ba cannot be destroyed," said my father, "for its Home Stone has not perished!" (Priest-Kings of Gor)
The Summary
I think that about covers it. Once again, these are just ideas taken from quotes. The Gor character will manifest different in each person. Go forth and be Gorean.
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