Desert,
desert said:
So now I have to ask something, and I'm curious as to what Custer has to say. This guy likes stretching the limits. Some claim they are ******. I myself just go with the flow, but he is in a better position than me. For anyone especially who claims they are ****** I have to ask a big question. Who in the relationship decides where the line is drawn?
I don't have a good answer to your question, in part because it's very broad. You seem to be seeking an answer that would apply to all couples where one takes the lead and "forces" the other to perform humiliating erotic and/or sexual acts, or behave in humiliating ways, or accept humiliating behavior, or some combination of these things, that the other partner apparently does not want.
So, I'll take a guess. My "seemingly reasonable" starting assumption is, the partner who takes the lead is the one who tends to be more dominant in the relationship. This tends to be the partner who is more assertive, forceful and outgoing. Given this, I suspect the more submissive partner who acquiesces in being "******" to engage in humiliating sexual and/or erotic behaviors does so because he or she secretly wants to do those things.... but would not do them without being "******," for fear of being laughed at, viewed contemptuously, or rejected by the more dominant partner. This fear stems from the socially unacceptable or taboo nature of these behaviors. This risk disappears, however, if the more submissive partner is ordered or "******" to engage in these behaviors by the more dominant partner, because then he or she is doing what the more dominant partner wants.
desert said:
And where is that line drawn? I do not understand how one can be ****** and yet set the boundaries.... can someone clue me in?
I suspect there's no simple answer to this question. It depends on the nature of the partners, the ways in which they interact with one another ("synergy"), and the ways in which the responses of one to the actions of the other form positive or negative feedback loops. By "positive feedback loop" I mean an interaction that tends to be self-reinforcing. By "negative feedback loop" I mean an interaction that tends to be self-damping. The answer to your question, in other words, is probably a function of the individuals themselves.
—Custer