I think in this context it means to think about the consequences of your actions. That is important to emphasize as you start getting into less conventional activities. Being thoughtless would eventually get results that are not good, to say the least.
For instance, most people will try to avoid drawing blood since it's a disease vector. If they do draw blood, they will probably not use blades because blades can leave permanent scarring or even accidentally get someone sent to the hospital or killed. If they decide to use blades anyway, ones hopes it is with a lot of caution and an understanding of what to do and what to avoid.
'Normal' BDSM activities like tying someone up may still be seen as not sane by mainstream cultural standards. However, if someone is attending workshops, monitoring the other person closely, and taking the necessary steps to avoid danger then they are still exercising sound judgement. They came to a conclusion at odds with the wider culture, but they weren't thoughtless or unaware of the consequences.
The vagueness comes from each activity needing to be judged on its own merits. A statement of values is a sufficient lead in to a more specific discussion. Debates and disagreements can still be had and, in fact, making space for that is valuable.
This is how I understand it, anyway.
last edited at Aug 26, 2024 7:25PM