"One of the most fundamental human needs is the need to belong. Noted psychologist, Abraham Maslow, identified it as one of the five basic needs. We want to be part of a group and to feel loved and accepted by others. That is, we want to be a member of a tribe. A tribe-or a pack, clan, elected family, posse, crew, network, or true friends–is a group of people who share common interests and values and show genuine appreciation and care for each other.
Your tribe members are those people who accept you just as you are, and who want the very best for you. They make you feel understood, and they encourage you to go after your goals and pursue your dreams. Also, the members of your tribe help you to get through difficult times, and they provide you with a sense of community and support."
D/s offers a massive and diverse range of communities willing and happy to gather you into the fold. We all, at some point, seek community, seek to belong, and feel less alone. One of the difficulties of finding your tribe in a D/s or BDSM world is that you may not yet know "who" your people are.... maybe you're still in the process of finding yourself....who you are, what you need, what you like, what you want....and so your journey can become somewhat chaotic as you bat between finding yourself and finding your tribe. Perhaps you sometimes feel like you are bouncing around between understanding yourself, fitting in, feeling isolated, questioning yourself, and so on.
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Which comes first, joining a community to help find yourself or finding yourself in order to identify your community?
People join communities in Second Life and sometimes they'll stay a while...and then they're gone...others stay longer, some return, some don't. Is it all about finding our tribe in among the discovery of our self?
What about when you think you've found your tribe and then one individual becomes a barrier in your feeling like you belong there?
What have your experiences been on your own chaotic journey? Have you found differences in how it all fits together when you're online and when you're offline?
Please do come share your thoughts and your experiences today at 12pm SLT (Monday 21st October) at the Temple of Discussion on Respect sim. Discussion is voice led but text is also welcome.
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