Deviation

The Oxford Dictionary defines a deviation as “the action of departing from an established course or accepted standard.” Colloquially, people use it as a synonym for the unusual, the weird, and the alternative. More importantly, the sense of deviation is the essence of kink.

People used to think about deviations as something abnormal, wrong, or perverted. That’s why deviant lifestyles had to remain underground for a long time. They were behaviors and ideas that practitioners should best keep secret. However, as the idea of diversity has gained ground, the concept of deviation has gained a positive connotation.

Nowadays, people see deviations as valid alternatives to the mainstream way of living. This has brought them to the foreground. And there are many people now who show interest in these diverse lifestyles.

Deviation is the essence of kink. This is because kink is, by definition, whatever is outside the conventional and the usual. It has always stemmed from the idea of doing things differently, especially when it comes to sexuality.

Deviation can reach other elements of lifestyle as well. For example, every day there are more job alternatives that depart from the typical 9-to-5 office work. Likewise, food and clothing are nowadays as diverse as they have ever been before. Even in things like spirituality and education, there are many more options available than there used to be.

Is there a limit to diversity? Can we validate each case as a deviation? The answer is already known to all the members of the kink community, and it has to do with keeping things SSC, which means Safe, Sane, and Consensual. As long as participants agree with full knowledge of a certain deviation, they can go ahead and try whatever they feel like trying.

So, whenever kink comes into the conversation, don’t forget that it has everything to do with deviations and the way they are socially accepted.