In the interest of keeping this simple, the Dominant in this essay is a male Dom and the submissive a female. However the essay also applies to a female Dominant and male submissive.

What is the profile of a "Good" Submissive? Is there one ? Most likely not because it is the difference the variety that makes humans so attractive, In my opinion?.. well that's easy. The submissive should be firm in her femininity. She offers herself to the Dominant freely, of her own choosing. She gives the gift of her submission in exchange for his love, care, knowledge and protection. She comes to him Knowing that he has expectations , Just as She Has expectations She wishes Fulfilled . She should be sure of herself enough to to speak up when they are not met. She obeys because she chooses to, not because she is forced to. She comes to him a woman, but unsure of her role, seeking His guidance, and quick learn what is expected of her. With this learning, and as he opens Himself to her, she begins to give more of herself, of her soul, her secrets, until all the two can share is learned, building their relationship, sharing their secrets and souls, so they may walk this path together. There is no power lost, no control wrested from her, she gives willingly, the Dominant giving of himself until an immense measure of trust is built between the two. The sub must trust her Dominant completely in order to give him so much of herself ,and the Dominant must trust the sub in order for him to accept her and her gift. "Training" (just another word for teaching) is only the process of learning what the Dominant desires. The sub must learn when to kneel, how to sit to please her Dominant, how to address her Dominant, and so on. She does these things because she wishes to, she wish is to please her Dominant in all ways possible. Even the most "bratty" submissive comes to know just what is expected of her and what her Dominant's limits are. It is said that the Dominant holds all of the control, and in many ways he does. But this is a consensual relationship. The dominant holds control, but only as far as the Submissive is willing to go. He may push her limits for the pleasure of both. However, the Submissive can walk away at anytime, hard as that may be, if the Dominant loses sight of her needs. Neither the Beginning nor the end of a relationship, define a relationship , So neither the Gift or the removal of that gift can define the roles assumed within the context of the relationship. It has been said by many, that the Dominant holds all the responsibilities Just as It is said that the submissive has no responsibilities, but a deeper observation shows otherwise. however, many of the submissives responsibilities are so subtle as to be overlooked. She must please her Dominant, she must act as He would wish, as her every action reflects on her Dominant. She must uphold his Honor, as He must uphold hers and protect her. She must have faith and trust in her Dominant, just as he must prove her trust well founded. She needs the strength of will to know when her Dominant is acting in her best interests, and be willing, without embarrassment, to do as he asks her within her limits. Because that is what her Dominant wants and what she wishes; to please him she would do that which seems difficult and even embarrassing at the time, She must not follow blindly, but see that what her Dominant asks of her is for the pleasure of them both. At times the Dominant may understand that the sub can go farther that she thought, and with the use of safe words, he is able to take her there. For the beginning of all relationships it is most important to abide by the perceived limits, it must be taken slowly. If a safe word is used and the Dominant does not heed the submissive's perceived limit, then an important trust is broken. The use of safe words should be stressed in any new relationship so that the trust and understanding are able to grow. With time and understanding , however, the two can reach a point where the Dominant knows how far the submissive can go physically, emotionally, and spiritually and the submissive can come to trust her Dominant's decisions. Even then a Safe word is still an important safety net. It can be dropped in session, but a worthy Dominant still holds the value of using safe words in new and uncharted territory, even in a long standing and trusting relationship. The caring Dominant knows he cannot read minds, even if he knows His submissive extremely well. The submissive has a wonderful role to live with the right Dominant. With him, she will grow emotionally and spiritually into what she wishes to become, learn to love freely and unconditionally and find the true power deep within her. The Dominant also becomes the man he feels within his soul, proud to be able to walk the honorable path of Teacher, Poet, Warrior and Protector. Proud of his charge and the pleasure they bring each other. Together the two will embark on a journey that will take them out of the realms and limits of society and into the timeless dimensions of the Universe.