Goreans are individuals knowledgeable about how the populace of Gor lives and use it as a foundation in their lives. The works of John Norman expound this lifestyle in a series of science fiction books, which illuminate the ancestral heritage of humans. They show astute readers, with an open mind, what it means to be alive.

The Master/slave relationship is natural between men and women. Within this relationship humanity blossoms, while outside of it, the richness of humanity is left undiscovered. If one does not feel alive, is their claim at life valid?

Yes, obviously their claim has some justification, it is just weak.

Goreans have atypical depth and strength. They are defined by their fundamental beliefs which are reflected in their actions.

      Do not confuse depth with intelligence. Some people know what is right and proceed without analysis. What difference does it make if they can explain it? The depth of an individual pertains to how deeply routed their existence is, not how well they communicate. There is no need to be an expert on life to be Gorean, only a drive to live it fully.

      Knowing the right course of action and doing it, are two entirely different things. There are many ways to justify actions one knows to be wrong. Most people are experts at outsmarting themselves. They learned this skill early in life, and it makes their choice of lifestyles an easy one to live. But these feelings of right or wrong that are ignored, come from inside us. They represent how we truly feel. When pushed aside you are building yourself into the machine that is today's norm. In other words, you loose. You become less than you could be all because you fail to trust in yourself.

      Current societal norms pressure individuals to detach their inner feelings from actions and words. This is resulting in a shallower form of humanity.

The norm of modern society is to adamantly deny the reality of feelings, replacing them with logic and leading to a distrust of emotions.

Society is bombarding individuals with the belief that what comes from within is "wrong." It is not, and Gorean men will remind society, when it pleases them.

Women want respect for their intelligence and individuality. In struggling to achieve this, they are wiping out love.

Women are the caretakers of the emotion called love. One of their responsibilities to humanity is in seeing to its growth and evolution.

Certainly, fewer and fewer people are finding love and this trend is becoming entrenched because

      They fight it, because they do not understand their true nature. They see only the dependence brought by love and fear loosing their individuality. Most women do not know that this dependence leads not to loss, but significant gain. Gorean men prove it to them, and this is part of our role in humanity. The dependence formed is natural, and allows our depths to be explored. It is a journey into humanity.

      Dependence carries risk, and women do not like this either. They want the risk shared equally between parties. They do not want sole responsibility for nurturing love and making sure it grows.

It is certainly logical, but how realistic is it?

It is what they were made for. It is the way of humanity, and part of their responsibility to it. Those shoulders are not so tiny after all, when it comes to love.

The love of men is earned; the love of women is given. It doesn't matter what the reasons are, if the woman stops giving, the relationship dies. Gorean men do not allow this to happen .

Many women do not care for their place in the natural way of life and are attempting to redefine society to conform with their ambitions. They have even managed to convince some men that they are right. They are clever girls. We would want them no other way. These women have yet to find love, and are reducing the chances that their sisters will.

You can create artificial environments and live superficial lives, but do not try to tell us it is natural, or that it is, in any way, a good thing. We did not make humans the way they are, we simply accept it.

      Many societies have been and still are, working towards assuring interactions take place in a sexless manner. They argue that this gives both sexes a fair chance at advancement. Why should women be penalized because of their sex? You see, they do not understand.

Are you talking about visible gains, like wealth and status or the advancement and protection of the building blocks for humanity? Pretending to live in a sexless society advances nothing. It only further removes us from our roots.

This does not mean that women can't work beside men. Goreans look for intelligence in women and acknowledge it, when found.

      Women will always want the respect men give each other. This is the pinnacle of their manliness. They desire not to be looked upon as a woman, but as a sexless entity with properties that can be superior to other males and females alike.

When a man looks upon a beautiful woman, that is exactly what he sees.Not an object, but a beautiful female. A woman may inspire many things in the men around her. One of these may be lust. Do you think they mind this? At times, they might see it as frustrating, but the creation of a sexless society, would frustrate everyone more. It does not solve any problems, but does make deeper ones.

This is just plain wrong. Think!

      Built into our genes, are things always dependent upon gender, and no matter how thinly you slice it, there is always a difference. The ideal of a sexless society has warped modern day views of primal urges into something unclean and impure -- base and revolting. Why? Because in their natural places, women are at the feet of men. How could women ever be respected, if this was acknowledged as truth? In this state of denial, our children are taught detachment; they are taught not only to distrust themselves, but to hate it.

This leaves the shell of a bitter existence. The removal of emotion is a good way to analyze situations, but is it any way to live? The human race is turning itself into a computing machine.

Anyone claiming that such an evolution is destructive is denigrated. Their claims are labeled as ridiculous and they become outcasts. Well, I'll tell you a little secret ... It's a pretty damn good life out here.

      Honor is not something which is easy to define and many don't understand it either. This lack found in some has given females ammunition in their battle. They take one incident, form it into a nuclear weapon, and explode it on society. This is yet another example of our clever girls gone awry.

Probably not, women learn well under the whip.

By their reasoning, this is good.

This is where this whole mess comes from. The weak have protected themselves against their fears by taking the ways honor can be shown, and making them into laws. In this way, everyone is always treated honorably. It has been forgotten that humans need to exist and that respect is earned. Humans no longer need to look inside themselves for what is right and wrong, they can look in the books of law. Society as a whole now appears to be more honorable, but they do not feel it. Of course, feelings are not required in a neuter form of humanity.

      Goreans typically live without justifying their lives to others. It is a waste of time, and we have much better things to do. But when the attempts of the weak to enslave with ideals and logic go too far, it is time for a reminder.

Tal and greetings,

I am often asked by newcomers "How do I become Gorean?" When told it takes time, they ask "How long? How will I know when I am Gorean?" It was not until I found the quote at the bottom of the essay that I found the words to express the "evolution" of a Gorean. Please consider this essay for publication in Your Gorean Voice. The Evolution of a Gorean
by
Dangruscurvz

It's a whisper.

"Psssttt....yes, you....come closer."

It tugs at some place deep inside you. So you watch. Who are these people? These Goreans. What is it about them that makes them somehow..... different? The atmosphere is so different. There is a calm... a sense of order not seen in other places. You leave thinking, "I wonder how they manage that?"

You return to your old haunts.... the rooms full of chit chat. The familiar scroll seems too fast now... too .... full of shallow words. These people, these friends seem so.... frivalous, so silly. Strange, where once you felt comfortable and at ease, now you feel.... unsettled. The inside jokes, the "cutesy" expressions all seem so...tiresome and trite. You've had a glimpse of something... deeper. The more time you spend in the places you've always gone, the worse it gets. You find the constant inane chatter annoying. You find yourself becoming irritated over things you would've laughed at before.

Eventually, you get back into the swing of things. That feeling of unease fades to a dull twinge every once in a while. Until one day, someone enters the room. The entire tone of the room changes. It is as if it slows..... calms. You can feel all eyes turned to the newcomer. The quiet that settles over the room. With a gesture or a word, those who were loud and boisterous suddenly are a bit.... respectful. You recognize him. He is Gorean.

As soon as he leaves, the room quickly returns to the normal chatter. Only you do not join in. It is back.... that feeling of unease. In this place where you have spent countless hours talking and laughing and sharing, you suddenly feel you like an intruder. You do not belong here. But, if not here.... where?

Again, the whisper, "Psssstttt.... come back."

You return to that place... that Gor, and sit quietly. You watch these "Goreans" interact. Even when disagreeing there is some unspoken bond between them. They are Gorean. As each newcomer enters, within minutes it is quickly discerned whether they are Gorean or stranger. Somehow... they recognize each other. They just know.

You begin to read in between visits. Eager to know more of this thing called Gor. And each time you log on, you find yourself looking for those taverns and places Gorean. The more you learn, the more comfortable you feel, and yet... you still feel like a child with his nose pressed to the glass... You spend time there but.... you are still on the outside. Consumed with a burning need to know more, you scour used bookstores in search of the "scrolls." You search the web, hungry to learn, to know. You watch and study and absorb all that you can.

What is it? What is that secret "something" that makes a person Gorean? Is it the words, the terminology? You know the difference between a kajira and a Kaiila. You recognize the cities like Ar and Turia. You even get some of the Gorean jokes. You are beginning to fit in. People greet you when you enter. (You secretly get a thrill each time a slave calls you "Master.) They accept you, converse with you, and yet..... there is still that distance. That silent knowledge that no matter how much time you spend here you are still ... a visitor. Oh, you may call yourself a Gorean, but each time you say the words, you feel a guilty twinge inside and you hear that whisper.

"Liar."

Back to the books. There must be some... thing... some one important passage that explains it all. You just need to find it. So this time you read. Really read all of the books instead of skipping the "boring" parts or the "girl" books. You begin to see that behind the warriors and the beautiful slave girls there is an underlying theme in Norman's work. This "natural order of things." They're not just love stories about men and women, but love for nature, respect for the truth. Ok... so now you understand.

You return to Gor, armed with this knowledge. You burn to BE Gorean. Everywhere you go, you speak of Gor. There is a need to share this passion awakened in you. You find yourself quoting chapter and verse from the scrolls. There is a quote to fit every situation. You hardly have to think about it anymore, they simply spring to your lips. You enter a tavern and are served. To be honest, you don't notice the typos she makes because you're so distracted with this talk of nipples and "slave heat." You look down at the girl at your feet, almost giddy with the feeling of power. You think, "Wait till the guys at the office hear about this! Oh, yeah.... I am Gorean."

Again the whisper comes.... "Liar."

Well, damnit. You've read the books twice. You know the terms and cities by heart. You can boss around the slaves with the best of them. You know and understand the principles of honour and slavery. What is missing? Ok, so some of them are a bit extreme. Like that guy who whipped a girl for bringing him Ka-la-na instead of paga. You know the books say he has that right, but hell, cut the girl some slack. And the way she just threw herself at his feet as if her very life depended on bringing him the right drink. What is it about this place? What are you just not "getting?" You know the rules, the accepted codes of behavior. You behave when you are here as if you are Gorean.

What are you missing?

You read some more. You go about your life, each day learning and absorbing a little more of this place called Gor. Then perhaps, one day you are in the bank and some mouthy girl is rude to you. You immediately think, "insolent slut!" and a picture springs to mind of her naked in chains at your feet. A smile spreads slowly across your face. You hold her gaze and speak firmly to her and she reacts, her eyes lower and her voice drops to a whispered apology. In that moment, it becomes clear to you. It is not enough to know or to understand the principles Norman set down. It is accepting them as true. Accepting them as your own. Accepting your place in the natural order of things. You remember that man who quieted a roomful of giggling subbies with a glance and you know. Gor is not a place you go to when you read a book or turn on your computer. It is not put away when you return to your "real life." Gor is carried in your heart every minute of every day. Gor is not where you go or what you do. Gor is who you are.

One last time you hear that whisper......... "Yes...you are Gorean."

'It is a genetic expectation,' I told her, 'more ancient than the caves, a whisper in your brain bespeaking a lost world of nature, a world in which the human being, both male and female, were bred. You were fitted to one world; you found yourself in another. You were a stranger in a country not of your own choosing, a troubled guest, uneasy in a house you knew was not yours.'

'I fear my feelings,' she said.

'They hint to you of natures world,' I told her. 'They are inimical to the machine.' 'I must fight them.' she said.

'They are reminiscence,' I said 'of a vanished reality. They whisper of old songs. The machine has not yet been able to eradicate them from your brain. Such feelings, in their genetic foundations, lie at the root of women, and of men. They antedate the taming of the fire. They were ancient when the first stone knife was lifted to the sun.'

'I must fight them.' she said.

'Fight yourself then,' I said, 'for it is your deepest self for which they speak.'

pg 202...Beasts of GOR

As I step into the paga tavern Silk & Steel, and into the world of Gor for the first time, I find myself truly in a different environment. I see slavegirls on their knees, with hardly a stitch of cloth, some only collared as general slaves, some with or awaiting their Master's arrival. I meet warriors and others in here; some I find a kinship with, because we have shared in real life some similarities on our lives.

This is a new experience for me, being within a Gorean environment. But the attitudes are not alien to me. The foundation of my beliefs stem from the duty and Honour of one who has served his country - in Gorean terms, his city's Home Stone - and these are some of the core beliefs that one tries to adhere to in desiring to become Gorean.

Honesty, Integrity, Duty, Respect and above all, Honour. These all are attributes which should be sought after by Men. It is these attributes that one displays to others, with his words and, more importantly, his actions. A man can say anything he wants - look at modern day politicians of our society - but his words mean nothing without a foundation in action. Today, the earthbound will not attain what the Gorean accepts of these innate attributes.

Honesty, Integrity, Duty, Respect and above all, Honour. It needs to be said again. AND, above all, Honour. From my own past, my own beliefs, each of these is an important part of life, and how one should interract with others. Each goes hand in hand with the other, although it is only to oneself that ultimately they answer to, if you affect another's life, you shall have to interract with them. The first four feed the fifth...as I have seen and tried to apply in my own life, and now find out about Gorean principles, and adjust how they apply in my life so as to become Gorean.

To become Gorean. Honesty, Integrity, Duty, Respect and above all, Honour. To take each one on it's own:

Honesty. Know thyself, first. Then apply your knowledge of yourself in all that you do. An honest man is a man of his word, who, when giving his word, shall do his utmost to fulfill that pledge. This is not to say one cannot lie, lest be called dishonest; Honesty is how you interract with yourself, and then how you apply that knowledge to interraction with another. A lie, or fabrication, or fib, or any other non-truth...these are necessary tools at some times. You do not wish to give away a favorite hiding place, nor tell what gift you might have gotten for someone for a holiday or naming day. But you do not want to throw your words about unwisely, and not back them up.

This leads into the next attribute...

Integrity. This is the measurement of how you apply your honesty with yourself to the interraction with others. You show integrity by being a "man of your word"; by being honest when it is called for, and backing up your words with actions. Abiding by a set of codes within the Caste you choose also is part of your integrity.

Along with this is the next attribute...

Duty. Duty is the application of the set of codes determined by your Caste into your daily life. It shows that you understand your position within Caste and Society, and based on your honesty and integrity, apply them to what you do. Duty is also something you do regardless of whether it might be enjoyable to you; to some, it is a duty to take out the trash, or clean up a room, wash dishes, take care of children, stand a watch, guard a Home Stone. However, each of these is an act that, albeit needs done, but it is not necessarily an unpleasant thing for someone Gorean.

Respect. This is not directly related to any one of the above attributes, and yet is inherent in all of them, and vice versa. Respect is what you feel and accept from others. It is a sign of respect of the skill of one's enemy, or that of an artisan, craftsman, musician, or anyone who performs his duties well with you. You do not have to like someone to show them respect; a skilled warrior deserves the respect of how well he handles his weapons...even as you run your own sword through him (or he runs his through you). A poet, a scholar, a merchant..all deserve respect for their words, their teachings, and their bargains (the best merchants can sell you a star and leave you without a tunic...and you'll never know until you feel the chill from the winter night - six months later).

But above all, Honour. The four above make up how you prove yourself Honourable. Without Honour, you are not a Man. Without Honour, you cannot be respected, you have no sense of duty, your integrity is questioned in everything you do, your honesty is likewise suspect. Honour is the core to all that it means to become Gorean. And its foundation is formed by the other attributes.

Honesty, Integrity, Duty, Respect and above all, Honour. You will find, with me especially, that I will almost always capitalize Honour, and spell it in "proper Queen's English". This has to do with my personal beliefs and how they apply to my life. This has to do with my devotion to the word, the meaning, the belief, the life, of being Honourable. This is not an original Gorean ideal, but rather one which I have had within me from my childhood, long before ever reading John Norman's books about Gor, and the Gorean lifestyle which has become known to me lately. And something I have struggled within my own life to obtain and maintain.

Anything worth having, is worth working towards. Nothing comes easy, and nothing is free. Everything has a price, and that price may be a high one indeed. Accepting this, and working towards gaining respect from others, to have them eventually call you Honourable...

...that is what it means to become Gorean.

In closing, I quote from Marcus of Ar, in the closing of his excellent article on the S&S website, "Being Gorean". I highly recommend this reading to newcomers of Gor:

If the modern human heart was being smothered with lies, and it is;

If my soul cried out for something more real, more constant than this gray Earth, and it does;

If I valued true friendship, my inborn maleness, and my right to defend what I feel is truth, and I do;

If I am not afraid to stand up before my peers and announce to them that the Gor books touch a nerve in me, and take hold of my spirit in a way which few works of fiction ever have, and I'm not;

If all that I have said above is true, then I am Gorean.

Despite what others may say of me.

It is true; and I am proud to say, even in the presence of my most avaricious detractors:

I am Gorean!

This is the beginning of my becoming Gorean, and the beginning of my understanding, as well as the beginning of what I hope may help others to understand why I chose this path at this time in my life. And maybe one day, I might be able to show those friends I have from before, what being Gorean means to me. But this is a goal for later.

For now, I am working towards becoming Gorean. Working to determine who has been waiting inside me as an earther, to determine if there is a Gorean within me, and cultivate the growth into becoming Gorean.

I wish you well, Goreans.

Greylin `//olffe