I think this is a good question but I don’t think I can add much in the way of an answer, only my waffling thoughts on the matter. It’s my understanding that many switches are submissive to a different person over who they Dom, at least a lot of the literature I’ve read seems to support this… (of course I could be erroneous in my understanding in which case feel free to correct and punish as appropriate *grins)… so I am curious of how many switches effectively switch as part of a couple, with Pain and I we can seem to be able to read each others moods and needs and switch accordingly…

In my experience/opinion certainly, I’m thinking that switches are powerful both as dominants and when acting submissive because they do not fear or avoid one side or the other and are usually very clear about what they are doing while they are doing it and don’t ‘switch’ in the middle, ‘us I guess that trying to top from the bottom would see the Dom taking what steps were required to regain control…

I know in many aspects of life people get pigeon holed… for example I am a student… now I’m sure that just reading that has conjured up a stereotypical image of a student (I know that I am just as guilty on that score)… so is this the same for the some factions of the BDSM community as a whole? And are switches seen as occupying some grey area that seems difficult to define and are thusly seen as being something indefinable and non-committal?

Ok… I admit I have in effect just asked the same question again… *sigh