Gorean Community, fact or fiction?

by Gladius

This question was posed to me when I was asked to write on a subject and I saw this as a topic that may not be touched on as much as some. I have attempted many times to under stand if what I have read in the novels is applicable to us in our lives. The Gorean community in the books was very tight nit, and they typically did not welcome strangers. They did not hesitate to defend their status or city or their ideals.

Is this something we could aspire to? Do we now as people who follow a philosophy of natural order make it our own? Is this why our “community” is split into cliques and factions? Is it worth fixing, and if so, why or why not?

com·mu·ni·ty /kəˈmyunɪti/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation [kuh-myoo-ni-tee]

-- A social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage.

-- A social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists (usually prec. by the): the business community; the community of scholars.

First off, we have to look at how many people come to understand Gor and the ideals that are associated with it. Some are lead to believe from online people that reading the books, understanding them, is what is necessary to *be* Gorean. Others think that understanding the books is important but more important still is the idea of natural order, and men’s as well as women’s place in it. Already with the subtle differences in ideas, there is a fracture of beliefs and a breakdown in communication/tolerance. Did the characters and-or peoples in the books always see things the same way? Certainly not, it was only important on larger levels. I think that is one of the hang-ups and also a possible solution for the Gorean community today.

Everyone online and offline has their friends, the people that they enjoy being around, talking to, dealing with, trusting with their personal information, property etc. These groups of people are akin to but not the same as Gorean cities for the sake of making my point. Do I really care what the group over there is doing, and although varied from my own beliefs somewhat, do they care about mine? Probably not! Does it make a difference to either if we don’t care? Definitely not! So why is this a problem when coming together as Goreans? The fact is, it shouldn’t be. Democrats and Republicans get along together just fine in debates. They agree to disagree. Yet somehow they manage to have a semi-cohesive mindset about dealing with themselves as well as what’s good for their “community”. Regardless of the level of “community” you are speaking of, there is a point where you must, for the sake of the “community” agree to disagree and move forward with *the bigger issues*.

Is it important to Goreans to be together as a community? My opinion is, yes, most certainly. The proof lies in how far people have gone to preserve their individual ideas, especially the online folks. They buy new ISP and chat-servers to further their distinction. They distance themselves from being confused with BDSM folks and the like. It’s obviously very important to keep a semblance of order and ideals to many people. Why can’t we just all get along?? *laughs*

The simple formula is what I mentioned earlier. Agree to disagree, but keep in mind what is needed to preserve, build and care for a society that is scrutinized by nearly every other social group you can think of, save “alternative” lifestyles. The persecuted will generally strive to free themselves from scrutiny and fight to keep their ideals and way of life pure. Oh my, just like the books. Careful folks, the more you think about it, the more it’s really us who have lived like Goreans for a very long time, even perhaps without knowing it.

I’m certainly not preaching about keeping others ideals, or watering down your beliefs. I’m saying that for the community to grow, no matter where or how you are speaking, there must be a foothold in compromise and agreement. Without it, “no community” stands on its own.

In closing, be who you are, not who someone else thinks you should be. Don’t ask someone how to do it either, do it yourself, even to a fault. In doing so, you might just find yourself on the receiving end of …. Community.

Regards,

Gladius