An IRC chat channel of community and spirit, dedicated to the love of Gorean philosophy.
Article - Expectations of Thalin & The Gorean Tavern
The purpose of this article is to offer a sense of who I am, what I am attempting to offer, and what I believe the Gorean Tavern's purpose is. This article is directed at those owned by the Tavern as an audience, however may help others as a quick introduction.
It is important that there is a sense of compatibility, and removing some of the uncertainty and questions up front is one way to avoid a stressful experience due to misconceptions.
As a person I am the quintessential ENTP personality type. Below I've listed a couple of excerpts from a site which I think are very relevant and help to quickly get a picture for the person I am.
The ENTP personality type is the ultimate devil's advocate, thriving on the process of shredding arguments and beliefs and letting the ribbons drift in the wind for all to see. No one loves the process of mental sparring more than ENTPs, as it gives them a chance to exercise their effortlessly quick wit, broad accumulated knowledge base, and capacity for connecting disparate ideas to prove their points.
ENTPs' idea of fun is often rooted in self-improvement, and people with this personality type bring their partners along the way, as much in a spirit of sharing as in a spirit of expectation. ENTPs see either growth or stagnation and don't buy into the idea of a happy status quo, making them demanding as much as they are exciting.
ENTPs' capacity for debate can be a vexing one – while often appreciated when it's called for, it can fall painfully flat when they step on others' toes by say, openly questioning their boss in a meeting, or picking apart everything their significant other says. This is further complicated by ENTPs' unyielding honesty, as this type doesn't mince words and cares little about being seen as sensitive or compassionate. Likeminded types get along well enough with people with the ENTP personality type, but more sensitive types, and society in general, are often conflict-averse, preferring feelings, comfort, and even white lies over unpleasant truths and hard rationality.
Being inclined to suppress their emotions and feelings, when ENTPs are faced with a friend who, figuratively or literally, needs a shoulder to cry on, they have no clue how to handle the situation. They are perfectly willing and happy to offer a series of rational, reasonable solutions to the problem at hand, as ENTPs do for any situation where a problem needs to be fixed, but they are certainly not known for their sensitivity or outward affection, no matter how intuitively they may understand another's position.
If you find yourself interested in personality typing, a good start with some light reading is 16personalities.
The purpose for the Tavern is to create an environment which adheres to the important values and principles of the Gorean Philosophy where the benefit is an increased quality of life. Many of the beliefs held and reflected in the Tavern are those beliefs we feel represent a real connection to the innate qualities of men and women. The Tavern is also a casual and relaxed environment to spend time in the company of those you enjoy. Some may just need a place to unwind and enjoy chatting, and some are looking for personal growth.
Your growth is through the growth found in discussions or articles which speak to the character of person you are. By constantly raising our awareness of ourselves we may be more closer aligned to the person we wish of ourselves in our future days than we have been in our past. This pursuit requires ambition and action to follow through with what is asked of you. Many ideas for growth come at me and do so spontaneously with the influence of who you are. Do not have the expectation of being treated identically to another. You are a unique individual. Most angst associated with differences is a failure to be able to predict expectations placed on you. I will strive to always make certain you are aware of expectations, and be available to offer explanations when I feel more information is deserving.
The Tavern is not an IRC channel which is focused on roleplaying. While we are creative and expressive and roleplay to an extent using creative writing, you will not see people roll dice and attack each other.
The Tavern offers a meeting places of similarly minded people who can walk away with more awareness and knowledge which is expected to bleed into our lives outside of IRC and help in many situations. We are real people, with real thoughts and ideas, and Gorean Philosophy is truly beneficial in my eyes to helping someone find clarity in other aspects of their life. For instances, having a healthy understanding of submission may help you to feel more complete in a personal offline relationship.
The Tavern is not a catch and release program. Your duration for being owned by the Tavern is not expected to extend into a long term relationship. There may be some unique individuals where this is perfect for their needs, but many people will benefit from the growth while at the Tavern in their personal relationships to come. Be those in their offline life that no longer affords the time for online participation, or an online connection with an individual you wish to submit to.
One final note, I am the only know it all in the Tavern. When you disagree, you are typically welcome to ask the why behind my beliefs. If you hold to strong convictions then you are not offering me the respect of having something to teach. I do not shy away from opposing opinons. You need to know if I decided to end a discussion prematurely it is most often due to you having an inflexible mind, disrespectful approach, inappropriate line of questions, or an appearance that you are otherwise not listening. Those are all a quick way to piss me off, and I will just be done.
Hopefully that offers at least an introduction to the Tavern and myself, enjoy your stay and it is my hope that you apply effort toward getting a higher level of self awareness while you are with us.
I love you all,
~Thalin
