Domination & submission _ the BDSM relationship handbook ( PDFDrive )

Challenges
Despite all of the apparent pessimism you’ve thus far been bombarded with in
this chapter, online BDSM relationships actually do happen, and sometimes,
even flourish. The keys to having a successful online BDSM relationship
generally come down to the following three
factors: Determining beforehand where the line is that separates your virtual
BDSM life from your real-world life, deciding for yourself the importance of the
reality behind the avatars, and asking yourself, “Why am I doing this, and where
is it going?” The answers to
these three questions aren’t easy, nor should they be. In fact, if one or more of
the questions seems easy for you, then I would suggest that you’ve probably
seriously underestimated the complexity and
gravity of the issues involved.
The wildcard that is often overlooked when it comes to online relationships in
general, and online BDSM relationships in
particular, is the role that our emotions play in our perceptions and decisionmaking.
We often go into these things with one set of expectations, only to
discover - after we have fallen in love - that a completely different set of
expectations has suddenly appeared out of nowhere and taken precedence. If
either partner is unprepared for it when that happens, it can not only be
potentially devastating to the online
relationship, but it can lead to significant problems in their real-lives, as well.