More On That Personality Test

Yesterday I posted the results of a personality test I took. You can read all the details of the results in that post, but one item did get Me thinking.

The results showed that I exhibited "low authoritarianism."

That seems a little odd for a Domme. Doesn't it?

Dictionary.com defines authoritarian as follows:

1.	favoring complete obedience or subjection to authority as opposed to individual freedom: authoritarian principles; authoritarian attitudes.

2.	of or pertaining to a governmental or political system, principle, or practice in which individual freedom is held as completely subordinate to the power or authority of the state, centered either in one person or a small group that is not constitutionally accountable to the people.

3.	exercising complete or almost complete control over the will of another or of others: an authoritarian parent.

–noun

4.	a person who favors or acts according to authoritarian principles.

OK, toss out #2. But #'s 1 and 3 . . .
"favoring complete obedience or subjection to authority as opposed to individual freedom."
"exercising complete or almost complete control over the will of another or of others."

On the face of it, that seems exactly what happens in an archetypal D/s relationship. One "exercises control over the will of another". One "favors complete obedience." "Individual freedom" is not highly valued in a submissive as an abstract goal (and, to be honest, is usually not actively sought by the submissive).

But of course, this isn't Gor or some other idealized existence. In matters of two people, there truly is "no government without the consent of the governed." And while I appreciate the simplicity of simple absolutes, I understand that to Dominate a real person calls for a whole mix of skills and behaviors.

And it turns out that the farther you go along the path with someone, the better you know each other, authoritarianism becomes increasingly less necessary in that mix of skills on a day to day basis. It is of course still needed at that times when the Dominant has to "put the hammer down" but as a rule the submissive over time develops a level of respect for the Dominant suh that His or Her "authority" is just . . . there, always present but rarely if ever mentioned or thought about because it's no longer necessary to invoke it.

And for the submissive, the state I seek to bring about for My girls is the state where the full nature of the paradox becomes not only apparent but the operating principle in their lives: Namely, that the less freedom they aspire to have, the more actual freedom they end up having. This is a very difficult point to get across, but in My experience the most effective way to do so is to rarely talk about it, but rather have them experience it. My "authority," in the end, is difficult to define yet it is unquestionably there. As is their freedom. And the growth of each stimulates the growth of the other.

I Am An Amimated Idealist

I found this on a blog (unfortunately I can't remember which one or I'd glad give credit) . . . one of these personality test things. My results are as follows:

Animated Idealist

According to this test . . .


As an IDEALIST, you are distinctive for your integration of confidence, imagination, willingness to explore, and desire for competence over style.
You have a strong capacity to comprehend the inner workings of things, finding new ideas and innovative insights to feed your curious nature.
You are quite comfortable in the realm of abstract thought. You don't need a practical solution to every one of life's questions.
You are comfortable with the decisions you make in life. You don't need to second-guess yourself, or seek a lot of opinions before you make up your mind.
You enjoy the routines that you have created in your life, and don't feel the need to shake things up just for the sake of change.
You generally succeed at what you do, and others would describe you as successful.
It is important to you that products be efficient – looking good has to come second to working well.
You aren't the kind of person who needs to collect stylish items in an attempt to create an attractive environment – you know that what matters most is function, not style.
You're not afraid to let your emotions guide you, and you're generally considerate of others' feelings as well.
You prefer to have time to plan for things, feeling better with a schedule than with keeping plans up in the air until the last minute.
You do your own thing when it comes to clothing, guided more by practical concerns than by other people's notions of style.
You tend to believe that things happen for a reason, and that not everything is under our control.

You are outgoing, comfortable with others, and up for anything, which makes you ANIMATED.
Some people find crowds and parties exhausting, but not you! You are able to be yourself in many situations.
Sometimes it is hard for you to understand why others feel the way they do, but that doesn't stop you from trusting them or having faith that they are good people.
You know the world is complicated and that there is often more than one side to a story, so you are careful not to make judgments about others too hastily.
You would rather experience the world than sit back and observe it—you are not one to sit on the sidelines.
You are an independent thinker and don't get too worried about how others might perceive you—you are not self-conscious about being the active, engaged person that you are.
Although you have a keen understanding of different people's life circumstances, you occasionally have trouble seeing why people get so upset and emotional about things—they should just lighten up and have fun!
In addition to having faith in the world, you have faith in the people around you—you trust others to do the right thing and to be honest.
You're not afraid to let your emotions guide you, and you're generally considerate of others' feelings as well.
You prefer to have time to plan for things, feeling better with a schedule than with keeping plans up in the air until the last minute.
You do your own thing when it comes to clothing, guided more by practical concerns than by other people's notions of style.

I guess that's mostly accurate . . . . there's a few things I could quibble with, but, anyway it's a dun exercise and the test uses some clever little scaling things in certain sections (whether this is for greater accuracy or to take one's mind off the fact that you're being asked the same thing in different ways, I'm not sure.)

So . . . what are you?