Common Misconceptions about BDSM

Mac Mclaughlin, administrator of the “Free the Kink” Facebook group, posted this question: “What are some common misconceptions about BDSM you’ve encountered?” There were over thirty answers, and here we discuss the results.

As you probably know, BDSM has been surrounded by misconceptions from the start. It has taken a long time for people to consider it an alternative way of living rather than a perversion of the sexual impulse.

According to the comments, one of the most common misconceptions is that BDSM is violent. The truth is that any BDSM practice stems from mutual consent. So, even if it includes rough games, it is all part of a previously agreed-upon dynamic among consenting adults.

Another common mistake is people thinking that subs are always submissive to anyone they meet. The reality, of course, is very different: subs are only submissives within the power dynamic with their dom. Outside of it, they can actually be very active and assertive people.

Related to the previous wrong perception is the belief that only women and all women should be subs. The truth is that there are plenty of female Doms. Moreover, there are also female riggers.

In the comments, members mentioned that, very frequently, people outside the BDSM community think it all begins and ends with sex. However, as any member of the community knows, kink is a lifestyle that goes way beyond the bedroom.

Finally, and sadly, many people still believe that a kinky lifestyle is equivalent to a relationship permeated by abuse. And that only people with severe psychological wounds acquires such a lifestyle. This gives an idea of just how much education is still required for the general public to understand what BDSM really is.

You can find the original post in the “Free the Kink” Facebook group.