Obviously ..

Obviously, this is not about bdsm, exactly, but the same rules apply, if you change the words  from 'boyfriend' for instance to 'slave' and from 'love' to 'want to serve'; or, whatever is appropriate. And, even more obviously, if one is talking about a romantic relationship within the context of bdms related activities, that goes ever so much more so. So, here are some pertinent questions and answers/ suggestions I found, Googling, this morning, whilst wondering what exactly do I need to know about a man to know if he is right for me enough that we should meet and all (and, what does he need to know about me):How do I know if my girlfriend or boyfriend really loves me?You  really can tell if somebody loves you or they don't love you. If they  love you, they're willing to go out of their way for you. They're  willing to do anything for you. And they're also willing to do things  that they really don't want to do, because that's true love.What do I need to know about my partner before we have sex?Before  your first sexual encounter with a new partner, you really need to do a  lot of things. Number one; you need to be responsible. You need to find  out their sexual history. You need to definitely talk about use of  birth control as well as a way to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.  You also need to find out what each of your expectations are in the  relationship. Does somebody just want a hook-up, or do they want to have  meaningful relationship with you?You should make sure to discuss some things before you actually make  such a big commitment as moving in together. Awkward though such talks  may be, you really need to know these biggies in advance. First off is money. Are you both expecting to go on being completely  independent with your money? Will you pay half the rent each or does one  of you have considerably more money than the other? Maybe you will even  want to open a mutual bank account. Money is a very tense subject but  it is better to grab it by the horns before it's got you in a corner, so  to speak. Another big fight starter is housework. Even if you  are from similar cultural backgrounds there is still room for a lot of  disagreement here. Maybe one of you is much neater than the other.  Again, come to an agreement before you move in together. Sort out how  often you think cleaning is necessary, your minimum comfort level and  what tasks should be done by whom if you decide to split them up rather  than taking turns with everything. Lastly, it is a good idea to  know how both of you like to spend time. If one of you wants to go out  clubbing every other night while the other wants to have quiet, cozy  evenings at home you are headed for trouble. Make sure you have  something you both like to do. A long term relationship needs to be  based on friendship as well as love.Agreeing on some house rules  explicitly will magically improve your life together. We all have our  own unwritten rules that are obvious to us, but not so much to those  around us. Getting it all out in the open early on will save a lot of  damage.None of this, mind you, exactly answers what I was wondering about, but, it is all good advice, in general; and, I post it here, because I think so many people focus on 'bdsm' in a bdsm relationship, that they forget the real focus should be, still and all, 'relationship'.