I don't think that that's equivalent.
I don't think you can be a good Dom without understanding the Sub's experience. I agree with you that being a Sub isn't necessary to that, but I think the people who think it is have more of a point than your analogy.
Here I think we'll have to respectfully agree to disagree. I can learn about a sub's experience by talking to them, reading, or just using human empathy (such as it is, in the heart of sadist). If I was to be a sub, all I would be doing is entering into something that wouldn't be any fun - because I'm not submissive, I don't think I'd get out of it what a real submissive does.
OK - a better example than the gay one. Here, there's been a personal fitness trainer in the news, who came up with the gimmick of putting on weight so that he went from a fit, healthy 80kg to an unhealthy 120kg (roughly moving from 176 to 264 pounds). He's doing this, so he says, to understand what it's like to be one of his obsese clients.
The problems with this are obvious. Aside from the health problems that rapidly gaining weight cause (which aren't really relevent to this discussion, but anyway ...), even when he is overweight physically, he still won't have any more empathy for what causes people to overeat, or be unable to exercise, and so on. Oh sure - he'll know how much harder it is to get large pants, but that's about it.
Like Spray, I'd be a lousy sub, for a range of reasons, but mostly linked to the fact I can't imagine I'd get any sexual enjoyment out of it. I can only imagine it being a negative for me. That doesn't for a second mean that other people won't get some benefit from it - my problem is with those who set it up as a sort of 'rule' that all prospective dominants have to follow, lest they be considered poseurs and fakes.
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