Koko's rant about the loss of humanity

[Kokojo]

I thought furries where bad, and I stumbled over ''Otherkinds''

- Durr, I am just a guy that has personal problem, so il pretend I am not even human.

Quoted from their own F.A.Q :

"How do I know I'm not making this all up? How do I know I'm not just paying head-games with myself, pretending to be something "cool"?

Worries about one's sanity are common enough in the otherkin community. We know that our beliefs are very different from what society tells us is true. Some of us take these worries as a very good sign, noting that the refusal to even question one's own sanity is an almost sure sign of insanity.

But even more importantly, agreeing with everyone else, and believing everything society does, are not the best measures of sanity. A far better measure is that of _functionality_: can you function as a stable, productive adult in the consensual reality?

For example, if you can keep a stable job, a roof over your head, keep up friendships, relationships and/or a social life, pay your bills, and generally behave like a functional adult (if you're an adult ), then it doesn't matter whether you consider yourself a human or a creature from another planet.

On a deeper level, many otherkin find that identifying as such -- identifying as an elf, or a dragon, or a vampire, or a pixie, or whatever -- actually gives them *more* of a sense of stability in their lives and understanding of themselves. If it's simply something you call yourself, then maybe you are just playacting. But more likely, you've found (or will find) that accepting and embracing your identification and your nature as otherkin helps you understand things about yourself that never made sense before. And if it does, then calling yourself otherkin may be helping keep you sane.''



Isin't that just saying, ''Oh, if you feel bad about absolutely anything and want to feel special, join us ?''

Once, I have read a short story named ''Napoleon in Moscow'', where the main caracther evades it's own reality to escape the penalty of love, because his wife uses him, and that was the only time I ever felt a human could destroy his own sanity for a good reason. (I hereby respect Love, should you question my motives)

But reading the text I just posted, and knowing about furries and such, makes me wonder...

How many individuals are now unable to cope with their lives and must ''escape'' to reach out that goal ? ''Escaping'' reality may do you well, but afther some time, it just hurts to see people wandering around, moving their psyche around, to feel more special, or even just to get a bit of attention ?

Those who think like that are mostly sure to call out ''We are now like that'', but il ask everyone to think for a second here, and awnser accordingly.

- Do you think it is unusual to imagine people, imagine their voice, and take actions accordingly from these mental images ?
- Do you actually feel special when you talk about your problems, or things you do, you see, you make, and what you think ?
- Do you think ''escaping'' is a solution to problems, or do you not have problems, since you are that kind of person ?

And please, think about it, double-think, question your own reality. We are all unique, but we all do the same things. Your psyche is the only thing no one can attain, but I must focus  -We are humans-.

Created by reproduction of two others humans, a male and a female, and a whole lot of genetic talk later, there we are, humans, humans, humans. We are born with a Brain, and withouth arguing, it is the most powerfull thing we have. Often, it distort reality, brings new meanings, make impossible connections to make us feel better, but it remains that this feeling for hapiness is deep into our brain.

My point stands there. Why ''escape'' into personas and alternate realities ? Bring me ''Human-dragons'', bring me ''humans with animal senses'', bring me a genuine animal, and then I might beleive.

Stop looking for hapiness in a world that does not exist. You exist, and you alone can model your existance. Always question your motives, your very existance, think, double-think, question your every mouvements... And then you may learn to know yourself...

Stop lying to yourself.

[Kuraudo Sutoraifu]

Do you think ''escaping'' is a solution to problems, or do you not have problems, since you are that kind of person?

The escapist mentality is nothing new, this is just a new type of it.  People use whatever they can find to escape real life (most commonly drugs, but not excluding religion, TV, videogames, music, sports, work, alcohol, etc.).  Otherkin seems to be the newest form, derived from fiction.  All of these things serve thier purpose in society, but when taken to extremes can be perverted into a mental disorder.

Thier escapist mentality is understandable as life sucks a lot of the time, but I think that they know that are subjecting themselves to a faux reality which will ultimately not give them the satisfaction that they desire.

[Nocat]

Really?..... Reallllly?... Wow.

[Kaijyuu]

But reading the text I just posted, and knowing about furries and such, makes me wonder...

Why exactly are you singling out "furries and such?"


Like, Kurando said, escaping is nothing new. Pretty much everyone does it in some form. Some people get lost in books, some in movies, some in video games, some in costumes.

Some get lost in sarcasm, trying to turn everything into something humorous so it's easier to cope with.


What's the difference? None.

[Nocat]

I don't judge these people, they can do what they want. It doesn't matter to me, nor should what people think matter to them. Im just a little in shock to find out about this.

[VampragonLord]

IM A DRAGON! RAWR

[Redux]

Escapism is a facet of the human condition. We long for the life we can never achieve, seek the truth we will never find. Such futille and meaningless lives we lead. IF YOU LOOK AT IT THAT WAY. Perception is also a facet of the human condition. If we change the way we view the REAL world and see it more clearer, certain happinesses, great or small, can be achieved.

Either way as long as these silly, sad, and possibly crazy people dont bother me, i could care less.  

[Kuraudo Sutoraifu]

Kaijyuu, I actually do think "otherkin" people have taken their escapism too far.  Embracing fiction is awesome.  Getting involved in a story is thrilling.  Cosplay is pretty entertaining.  Roleplaying I'm sure could be fun, too.  But actually believing yourself to be connected to a fictional character existentially, spiritually, psychically, etc. (in any way other than figuratively) is taking your escapism into the mental disorder stage.

[Kaijyuu]

I guess you could say they're in denial, but I wouldn't say they're any worse than that.


Unless they think they're really a vampire and start biting people's necks, or something.

[VampragonLord]

to be a "mental disorder"
it has to be ALL of these
Abnormal(good example of this is sadness. depressed after loss of a loved one, normal. bursting into tears without reason, abnormal)
distressing
inability to function in society (if they are still able to function in society, ie can make friends, have a job, etc, no matter how odd you may think they are or there beliefs are, it isnt a disorder, they are just different)

"otherkin" would only meet these requirements if something such as what kaijyuu stated occued, or they tried to survive solely on photosynthesis  (wood nymph? idk) or something along those lines.

If a person goes around honestly believing they are a dragon, no matter how strange they may act, how radical the belief may be, and how disturbed you might feel, they are well within their right to do so.

[SilvasRuin]

People have a right to be crazy, but that doesn't make them not crazy.

If someone isn't quite in-touch with reality (like for instance believing they are a wood nymph), then they would be deemed psychotic.  I'm aware that the stigma associated with the word makes people think of serial killers.  It just means they have somehow lost touch with what is real and what isn't.  And quite frankly, that would qualify for otherkins.  They're suffering a sort of psychosis.  They are crazy.

[Kuraudo Sutoraifu]

People have a right to be crazy, but that doesn't make them not crazy.

Quoted for truth.

And, Vampragonlord, I do not accept your criteria for mental disorder.  Obsessive compulsive persons, anorexics, and bulemics can function normally in society.  All three of these are mental disorders.  

And to a certain extent, Anorexia and bulimia are rationally normal in the context you posited.  Both come from rational desires to be attractive (in most cases).  Anorexia's logic is "I do not want to be fat, so I will not eat."  Bulimia's logic is "I do not want to be fat but still want to enjoy food, so I will vomit it back up (or use diarrhetics)."

[SilvasRuin]

On that note, I can function quite well in society to some extent, and yet I show all the signs of Paranoid Personality Disorder.   Kuraudo is quite right in that your criteria are rubbish.  (Main problem I run into is thinking people are mad at me, think ill of me, or have been somehow offended by something I did when there's really no reason to suspect such.  Knowing that I have it helps in fighting it off though, so it's all good.)

[Pickle Girl Fanboy]

I have a somewhat... broader sense of normalcy than anyone I know.  And the feeling I get about Otherkin is that they're missing the point.  To do something creative, you have to let yourself be open to ideas and influences you normally wouldn't consider.  Some of these ideas are distasteful or frightening, like imagining what it's like to be a child molester.  But otherkin fuck up because they confuse Characterization with Deep Character.

Characterization is the sum of all your thoughts, dreams, and experiences.  It's the clothes you wear, the car you drive, the people you hang out with, the things you think you believe.

Deep Character is what's revealed by your actions.

Otherkin are obviously deep, creative people; they just need to realize that you aren't what you happen to be thinking at the moment, but what you do.

Believe you are a dragon?  Fine.  But you don't have to paint scales on yourself to be dragonish, nor do you have to proclaim to the world your Otherness.

All you need is an effort of will.  It's like religion: you can be a Satanist without ever seeing an inverted pentagram or thinking of a headless chicken as anything other than dinner, because it's what you do that defines you, not what you wear or how you want other people to think about you.

As to Otherkin being escapism... every living thing with a smidgeon of rationality in it must dream and escape the rational world to survive.  If it weren't for this game, FF7, and SaGa Frontier, I'd be dead.  They helped me survive 6th grade with most of my sense of humor together and without blowing up my school.  The least I can do is keep these worlds, these stories, alive for others to experience.