Here are more wonderful words from the one known as Marcus of Ar, written in 1999, in which he brings out the three different levels of thinking like a Gorean.
THE THREE STAGES OF GOREAN THOUGHT
I am of the opinion that each individual who seeks to understand Gor passes through at least three distinct stages of transition as they move towards a deeper understanding of Gorean philosophy. I have unofficially classified those stages as follows:
Stage I: The Roleplayer (Believes that Gor is not real in any way, shape or form
Stage II: The Philosopher (Accepts some of the philosophy as an element of established BDSM tradition
Stage III: The Lifestyler (Lives the Gorean Philosophy to the best of his or her ability)
To my way of thinking, one must pass through each stage, in turn, in order to gain a full realization of what actual Gorean interaction is all about. Until one has done so, then one simply does not have the necessary understanding to fully accept the existence of the other “stages.”
Therefore, to one who is locked in Stage I, there are no such thing as stages II and III. Until one comes to understand them, to that individual, they simply do not exist.
Hence the Stage I folks with their constant arguments of “Gor is not real.” To them, at that point, it is not.
When they hit Stage II, they begin to understand that SOMETHING real is going on. But because of their earlier beliefs (characterized by Stage I or “gamer” thinking) they attempt to define the “real” elements as being something other than Gorean, because, to their understanding, “Gor is not real.” A holdover from Stage I.
When they hit Stage III, as defined above, they understand that Gor is indeed real in a certain sense, and it actually impacts upon their lives. They have passed through stages I and II, understand the role-playing elements for what they are (and even appreciate them for their entertainment value), understand that there is actual offline interaction in the BDSM community which parallels, to some extent, what we could call Gorean interaction (Stage II), and they come to understand that the Gorean philosophy is real and applicable in ways they never thought possible.
Trouble is, no one acknowledges the existence of the higher stages until they get there themselves. Until they do, as far as they are concerned, what they happen to be doing at the time is “all there is.”
People, like water, all eventually find their own level of involvement in anything they participate in. But when someone finds a level they like and just sits there, and fails to acknowledge the existence of something other than themselves, trouble invariably ensues.
When, say, an individual who considers all Gorean interaction to be merely a game (Level I) and insists that because they feel that way, that EVERYONE should play with them, then tempers flare and things get sticky.
When someone who has been through the gaming crucible and has reached the other side of it stands up, looks back, and tells those who still consider it all to be “just empty fantasy” that there is something more to it, do the gamers listen? Rarely. Typically they hurl back insults and derision. Hence, arguments ensue, and the individual who claims that there is more to being Gorean than Stage I tends to be called nasty little epithets like “elitist” and “would-be ruler.” This is simply how human nature functions. If you don’t happen to understand how something can exist, then deny its existence. If someone implies that they have achieved something which you have not, then hate them for it.
Eventually in the face of such response, most have come to understand that there is more to something (in this case, Gorean interaction) than the many would dare admit, wind up getting labelled “false prophet” by the unenlightened, and stoned to death. Sometimes they keep plugging away at it, trying to show others what they have learned. Sometimes they lose heart and turn away. And sometimes, if they are dedicated enough, and care enough, they keep coming back, trying to educate others and impel them to move forward.
I know someone like that, a guy who was one of the first to figure out that there was something poignantly real and inarguably valid about the philosophy expressed in the Gor books … the guy who proved to me, through example, that Gor could be loved, and lived, in our modern world, and who brought me out of the shadows to share my views with others who might learn to live a Gorean philosophy.
You know him as Bear. And he still, to this day, being burned in effigy by angry mobs of self-proclaimed Goreans to whom his very existence is proof that they have not yet come to understand that, although one might not be able to be a “Gorean” Gorean, one can be an “Earth” Gorean, which can be pretty damn close.
Anyone who has ever met the man, and looked into his eyes, knows instantly that he is the real deal: one of the first of us to cross over into being Gorean offline as well as online. I have personally met him, and can attest to this fact. Like Zeb, he was Gorean at heart years before he ever logged into his first chat room, and has simply used the online media to share what he has learned. Unfortunately, both of these men, being Gorean at heart, rarely bother to assume an artificial air of politeness in their dealings with others. If they respect someone, it is known. And if they do not, then that, too, is also known, nor do they make any excuses about it or sugar coat their feelings to placate the mob.
They are honest, and tell it like it is. Some people just can’t seem to handle that, for some reason. I, on the other hand, appreciate it, since I have seen that very principle plainly expressed in 25 books from which I derive much of my personal philosophy.
Taken in that context, all of the online activity, the biases, the complaints and mutterings, make perfect sense.
After you read this, think long and hard about what level you are at and if you WANT to move forward and learn more. If not, then expect more arguments and dissensions amongst all Goreans nowadays, thereby further causing strife and dissension amongst those who have a love for Gor and all things Gorean.
