White Knight

A white knight is a person who publicly comes to the aid of a person in distress. The white knight often isn't well-known to the person but will offer aid or defense from aggressors or other unpleasant situations the person is experiencing. The white knight is often a man, but other genders have also shown this behavior. The recipient of the aid is often a woman, but can also be any other gender. In non-kink culture, the white knight is sometimes seen as a person who is being a savior and trying to do the right thing. In kink, people tend to be more wary of this kind of behavior. This may be because people in this community are especially vigilant about people's motivations. When a white knight's behavior is very public, invasive, and goes to extreme lengths, it can feel as if the motivation behind it is not only to aid or support the person in need. In such cases, a white knight may be a man who comes to a woman's unsolicited defense, hoping for romantic or sexual favor. Other alternative motives could include: - Presenting themselves as more virtuous to others in a community. - Getting positive attention from the person in need of aid or support, allowing for later application of the cuttlefish method. - Having an agenda they want to push and give more attention to, in turn, hijacking the attention from the person in need of aid or support. - Simply making them feel better about themselves. ### Origins of the Term The term has been adopted from mythology and folklore where there was a "black knight" and "white knight," one representing "good" and the other "evil." They would often fight for a party that was less able to defend themselves and would become their savior. In many traditional stories, the white knight also "gets the princess" at the end of the story. ### Controversy There are also people that genuinely will try to help a person in need. These are sometimes also identified as "white knights," however they have different motivations and generally will operate differently. They will more often ask for consent before offering aid or support, they will offer it more privately, and they are likely to state why they are offering their efforts. Because the term "white knight" also has such a two-sided meaning, it can also create confusion. There is, of course, no guarantee that people helping a person in a time of need will always have their best interest at heart. When in a position of need, you are more likely to accept help from anyone you can get, and this vulnerable position should be sacred. However, this is not always the case and some people will see see opportunity instead. Being wary can therefore be important for your safety. Onlookers can also benefit from being skeptical when a person publicly offers aid or support when they are not connected with the person they are helping.