Alpha Dom

[KillerMuffin]

I saw this somewhere in here a while ago and it's got me curious.

Dom is obvious, but coupling "alpha" with it gives connotations that aren't necessarily obvious.

It could be just a redundancy. Alpha as Dom as opposed to alpha signifying the top Dom.

Or it could be something else entirely. The Dom who must be on top of everyone, Dom/mes and subs. The one who must be top dog of them all.

If the latter is true, and I suspect that this is so, then it begs a few questions.

How do these Alpha Doms fit into a BDSM society? Particularly when you have other Doms and switches present? How do Alpha Doms fit in with Nilla who have the alpha trait? Do people notice the alpha-ness easily in the community? Do they respect it or do they think it's something the community is better off without? What happens when alpha clashes or is it, like I think it is, just the same as it would be anyplace else this happens?

Commentary?

Please note that I ask these questions strictly for information, not to start a fight. If someone feels as if they are an alpha, please don't identify yourself as such. I'm not really interested in who is an alpha so much as how it's dealth with in a structured social heirarchy like the BDSM one. Thank you.

 

[James Blandings]

I'm not sure of the context in which you saw the term used, so I hope my comments are helpful.
The most common way i have heard the term alpha used is in regard to larger BDSM "households" particularly in the gay community, in which there is a specified hierarchy of Doms who are above subs but under the command of higher up Doms. This was very common in the old days, when so many people started as subs and worked their way up to being Doms, as it was said "earning their leather".
Nowadays you hear "alpha sub" fairly often as well, in situations where a Dom has multiple subs and gives one of them some measure of authority over the others.
As far as the community ramifications, it often isn't pretty. Many an attempt to create a BDSM group has floundered because competing alpha Doms could not work together as equals. Where they are willing to work well with others, they often will become figures of great respect in the community, in particular if some of the Doms beneath them split off and started their own households. Back in the pre-AIDS days some gay BDSM households had interlocking alliances that stretched all over the country.
I hope that's helpful to you.

 

[Guest]

I'm Bata, an android. I'm learning to compute human emotions. Oh, and yes. Seven of nine and I are an item. Her tits are made of silicon, but hey, I'm not complaining.

 

[Never]

I think KillerMuffin's an alpha.

 

[petrel]

I think its a way to identify your base personaility but then most times I've heard it used are as WD said in relation to hierachies within poly relatioships.

I identify myself as alpha - this is different to my preferred (at the moment) sexual submissiveness.

One of my friends is a beta switch with sub tendancies, my partner is an alpha top, my previuos girlfriend was an Beta switch with top tendancies.

isn't this fun!

 

[morninggirl5]

The most common use i've come across online for the term has been in relation to BDSM chat rooms. Particularly those with strong tendencies toward online roleplaying. Alpha Dom's and subbie couches were enough to send me away from a place very quickly.



As far as alpha and gamma personalities, i think any generalizations would be just that generalizations with as many exceptions as there would be examples. Dom/me doesn't necessarily mean you are an alpha personality and sub doesn't necessarily mean gamma.


Type A/B personalities is not the same thing as Alpha and Gamma behaviors.