Our Definition
the mistaken belief that there is only one “correct” way to practice BDSM and kink.
Common Practices & Experiences
Everyone is different! You'll see this repeated throughout our website and glossary. Common practices and experiences involving one true wayism include, but certainly aren't limited to:
- Being a sanctimonious jerk.
- Viewing people who practice BDSM differently as inferior or fake.
- Putting a moral judgement on neutral things that are a matter of personal taste (such as being accepting of people who engage with flogging but shunning people who prefer electro-play, or uplifting brats/brat-tamers while denigrating service oriented dominants and submissives.)
- Broad, over-generalized statements of what “real dominants” or “real submissives” are like.
- Enforcing rules or regulations in kink spaces that alienate members of the community.
- Creating an atmosphere where conformity is necessary in order to be part of a community.
Roland’s dynamic with their dominant does not include the protocols that are popular in his local kink scene, which has led to criticism and questioning of his identity, ultimately making him feel like he doesn’t belong in the community.
Paul felt scared away from the BDSM community when they started their learning journey, because the dress code at local events heavily favored people of one specific aesthetic.
1 comment
Lacy
Sadly our first experience with the local community was with a “mentor” who turned out to be a One True Way-er. She claimed to be about traditional protocols and we were too young to realize even those vary from community to community and evolve over time. We wanted so badly to do it “right” and she saw right into that and took advantage of it. I’m so glad we ended up able to grow and understand that as long as there’s consent and care, we can do what works for us.