Safe, Sane, and Consensual is a creed that many hearken to. BDSM is a blanket term, covering all manner of people and actions. As such, many who participate in BDSM choose to follow that credo. In some circles, those who follow the SSC creed are considered to "live the BDSM lifestyle," while all others are just pretenders. It is a matter of definition. Definition is the key. Safe, Sane, and Consensual is by no means necessary to performance of BDSM. Like I've tried to explain before - it may be necessary to any BDSM I am willing to participate in but it is not necessary for an action to be BDSM. The SSC group is a subculture of the larger culture defined by the term BDSM. (While not everyone whose behavior falls within the BDSM blanket term lives BDSM as a culture, they are still part of that "culture.")
The definition of BDSM does not include Safe, Sane, and Consensual. The two practices often are put together, but they are NOT defined by each other. The belief that they are defined by each other, or that SSC is necessary to BDSM, and similar sentiments, is partly due to lack of understanding by newcomers to the lifestyle, and partly due to the chosen definition of some within the culture.
The type of consent that you are speaking of is still consent. It is unspoken, because it does not need to be verbalized. I don't think that trust makes consent redundant. However, I do think that in the situation you are talking about, trust and consent are the same thing. By having that level of trust in your partner, you are consenting to whatever they choose to do.
My definition of consent is different from yours. In my definition, performing something of my own free will is the main part. If the consequences are negative, so be it, but that does not make my consent go away. To consent to an action, I have to undertake it voluntarily, not be coerced into it, threatened into it, scared into it, or deceived into it. It does not have to be something I want to do, or will like doing, but I have to undertake it voluntarily. I have to choose to do it. So, in your example of a punishment, I may dread doing it and hate doing it, but if I undergo the punishment voluntarily - because I want to please my Dom/me, because I know I deserve it, because it is in my slave contract, for whatever reason, - I am consenting to it. So, I disagree with your statements, but not your sentiment - our definitions are merely different. Knowing that, we can communicate better, rather than butting heads every time we try to talk about the issue of "consent."
Your post made my mind spin and thoughts tumble. I am going to keep each separate post of mine short, but I will try to express all of the ideas your post stirred in me.
Love ya fly girl
Robyn
The Arctic Bitch
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