her favorite activities are playing, cuddling, eating, and following me around.

lj–

i guess it’s because i trust dogs so completely.. i mean i really have this deep reverence/respect/love for canines.

man i agree completely! my dog is one of the coolest people i know.

All actions take place in a constricted environment – we are always leashed in some way. The wild wolf is limited by its instincts and the vicissitudes of its environment. The dog, by the leash of its owner. The difference is that one is limited by an ecological system, the other by human will. Which is better? (For my opinion refer to Crowley’s famous maxim).

Leashes can be good for people (I mean that metaphorically, although I do understand the BDSMers literal interpretation). Just as the dog has a pretty damn good life compared to the wolf in terms of creature comforts so some people are willing to trade “freedom” for “security.” Do they deserve neither as Ben Franklin suggested? Well, that sounds like it makes sense and allows “freedom-loving” individualists such as myself to sound morally superior, but at root the dichotomy is absurd. The freedom/slavery trade is a trade that occurs in any interaction, from romantic relationships to business partnerships.

Ultimately what matters is not freedom versus slavery but power versus impotence. Power comes from two sources: one’s genetic endowment and one’s accumulated life experiences or “wisdom.” (BTW, perhaps we should consider one’s genetic endowment the physical manifestation of natural wisdom). The dog is in a servile state because it has been genetically engineered (bred) and culturally engineered (trained) to be docile. This engineering was done by human will. The wolf has been genetically and culturally engineered by its environment (=Mother Nature, Gaia?) to be what we call “wild,” which is really just as restrictive as the dog’s life. One might say that the wolf is allowed to roam freely. No it’s not. If the wolf enters the house where the dog’s master lives, it will be shot. If the wolf breaks its leg it may very well die. In both situations the dog is allowed a measure of freedom that the wolf doesn’t have. The same is true of humans in varying states of “bondage.”

Therefore, our leashes are legion; they are what bind us together in effective society and society is what allows us to do things that Mother Nature (humanity’s master) would never permit us to do such as reading and writing blogs.

Notions of freedom have helped to obscure our true wills. They have had a particularly deleterious effect on political and gender relations.

But… it’s great for drinking games and Presidential Speech Bingo! >

i ‘just get mad in the right way’ then i’ll get the situation to work out.

Ahhh… that’s brilliant. I can so relate to that

in summary, we think that if we ‘just set things up right’ or ‘just play our cards right’ then everything will work out. my favorite example of this is if i ‘just get mad in the right way’ then i’ll get the situation to work out. but that game that we’re playing is basically trying to restrict the situation and ourselves, and then ironically things don’t generally turn out the way we want them, and we’re invested in a specific outcome instead of a wider experience.

i guess it’s because i trust dogs so completely.. i mean i really have this deep reverence/respect/love for canines.

i think a lot of the stuff we usually label as “entertainment” or “luxury” could potentially fall into this category.. ie; the SUV you’re still paying off, or the premium cable bill you have to keep up with every month.

Joan, I might also add to that list: jobs, giving the “freedom” of money

Nothin’ deep here, just needed to share. Perhaps its wise to remember that leashes are sometimes necessary circumscriptions of freedom.