Command Structures

Command Structures -

Command:

To exercise a dominating influence over, to have within your authority, power, or control. To rule or govern. To have at one's immediate bidding or disposal.

Structure:

The action of construction or building. Something having a definite or fixed pattern of organization.

Together, they form an organized pattern or a shaped ruling structure. To some extent, all of us live under a variety of command structures. From the top, you might consider your elective 'faith' to be represented by a governing body (God) who has presented a pattern of behaviors or actions, which you are then 'commanded' by the action of your belief in these actions to actively represent the 'desire' of the 'commander' (God) by complying with these commands. In this 'view' (God) becomes the dominant who commands via the 'instructions' or 'pattern' of his design - under the supposition that compliance to command or following these orders will result in a favorable relationship with (God), which will be 'rewarded' upon completion of the entirety of the pattern (death).

Second to this possible etheric structure, you may have an interpretive or secondary command system comprised of a religious organization, which is given the task and duty to interpret and disperse the 'detail of command' to all within the influence of that command.

Next, you have your government with the President, at least structurally, appearing to be 'in command' with the rights and ability to dictate, have influence over, dominate, express power or control, rule, and essentially govern your behavior, rights, and privileges.

Following your government, you would have your employer or supervisor. They exercise as many of these dominant rights as they can to direct and control your life.

Last, you have your family. The structure within your family will alter and change over the course of your life as those who once enjoyed positions of power and control become dependent and within the authority and control of those they once ruled.

Not to be forgotten are the hidden controllers; these might be considered to be anyone or any organization to which you owe money. That exchange of money is in reality a contract within which you vacate your rights by some measure or degree, most often your working time, in exchange for the right or privilege of borrowing an unaccumulated or earned reward.

Within a D/s relationship, you will find distinct patterns of command structure. Often these patterns are designed around familiar or at least marginally understood 'larger' already existing designs. Generally, the dominant will utilize familiar rituals to reinforce in the person they wish to dominate that they are the 'dominant' or that they are ruling, in control, and 'must' be obeyed.

The problem occurs primarily when the dominant within this structure has only the broadest understanding of what ruling is. Often, they will see the surface of ruling behavior as all that is needed to 'be' dominant, seldom considering the broad and much deeper implications of 'removal of choice' and 'acceptance of responsibility' for actions which result in unsatisfactory results.

Most good businessmen would tell you that managing other people in the workplace is a dicey deal. It is complicated. People vary, what they think varies, how they feel varies, and how they respond to stimulation varies. Allowing for these variables and having a reasoned, well-thought-out 'plan' of action to address these variations is how the business tries to model with their employees sufficiently to produce the highest possible level of outcome. To do this, to manage people daily takes information, insight, and a good bit of luck. To gain the information necessary to create the management tools, the businessman will go to specific management classes. They have to learn how to manage people, how to rule over their lives without resorting to destructive or damaging actions.

If you ask a dominant how many management classes they have taken, you will probably hear 'none'. After all, how hard is it to tell someone what to do? Well, it isn't hard to do for five or ten minutes. But it becomes hard over the course of days, weeks, or months, particularly if the behaviors necessary to direct the actions of someone else are not natural. If you have been the 'governed' for the entirety of your life, you essentially have no real skills or tools that enable you to direct or manage others. You aren't 'born' with these skills. And, they don't magically come into existence through the desire to possess them. You can improve your understanding of what ' fantasy domination ' is and what may work in real life by seeking out comprehensive books on management and relationships. You can attend workshops and seminars relating to management and business. You can even go back to school for some of these classes.

In the end, how successful you will be as a dominant will rely entirely on how well you grasp the dynamics and complexities of interacting with other human beings. If you are currently socially lousy, your odds are rather crappy. If you have trouble getting along with people, are subject to bursts of intense anger or loss of behavioral control, you will not be a good dominant. Figure out who you are in reality, try not to be swayed by the 'fantasy dominant' illusions so common on the Internet and within some groups. For all beginning dominants out there, the real place to begin is by being a submissive or bottom. This is the school for S/m from the bottom up or the inside out. If you cannot utterly know and understand the person you wish to direct, then, in my opinion, you shouldn't be directing them. Human lives, feelings, thoughts, opinions, and beliefs are not yours to play with. Giving orders isn't enough.

long text

Archivist Note: Email links (steeibtrfl@aol.com, steelbfl@sonic.net) are no longer valid and have been omitted from this archive. The bookstore link was for a heritage site that is no longer active and has been omitted from this archive. OP's works were not found on the successor live site. Also, the discussion group on Yahoo Groups is no longer available and was not found on archive.org.

To purchase books by the OP, please search your preferred bookseller by title or "F.R.R. Mallory", the nom de plume of the OP.

Retrieved April 2026 from https://web.archive.org/web/20100505193916/http://www.steel-door.com/24_7.htm.