Furry or otherkin?

[Roark]

Okay what exactly is the difference? I know that other kin are believed to be the incarnation of that of the past present or future. While furies are believed to have animal spirits inside them and they like to enact that on certain nights. I suppose the differences are that we will not dress up as our incarnation unless it actually calls for it Halloween or costume parties, while furies will dress up as there incarnation when ever they please. Other then that I suppose the common is that we believe we are something else. Are the believes we have the same as furies? This is where I get the idea am I a furry or other kin. I have had desires to dawn a dragon mask. Hmm I'm stuck here.
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The blood of that which you beleive run deep within, if you feel this then there is no need to doubt.

[Hyraxylos]

Furries, by bare dictionary definition (if there is one), are not spiritual at all. It's just a huge fandom that's surged to life through the Internet, and the furry fandom largely consists of artwork and roleplay. The people who actually have supernatural belief systems involving animals are called therians, which get confused with furries pretty often. Finally there're otherkin, which are similar to therians except that the person's connected animal happens to be mythological. Some otherkin, such as Tealeon, are also furries.

The biggest difference is probably that furries choose to be furries. Thus, if you "don't know", then you aren't a furry. :P Assuming that the militant naturalists who say we're all subconsciously deluding ourselves are wrong about their accusation, otherkin don't have a choice.
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[Shiari]

otherkin: People who believe that in some way, their Self is not "human"

furry: A fan of anthropomorphic animals and involves the willful creation of a 'fursonna'

[Jasriella]

In my opinion furries are the wannabes and us otherkin are stuck like we are without choice. I am rather dissapointed in myself to say that I am rather prejiduced against furries, if my assumption of them is correct. I don't think they realize it's torture to know that you either were or are something greater and are stuck to this human body until god/s know when.
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I am trapped between heaven and hell. My wings carry me upon the winds. Above lies heaven, below hell. Yet I must land in hell to soar in heaven. I am a Dragon!

[Shiari]

Your assumption is incorrect Gal. I dormed with a furry in college. She was a sweet and shy woman who simply was a fan of anthro animals. Some take it farther and use a particular animal or combination of animals to symbolically represent themselves, which has been done for countless thousands of years by humans. This is not too far off from those otherkin who use a particular Label as a description for their Self... those otherkin who believe not in souls or spirits or past lives. Some furries feel a very deep spiritual attachment to their animal persona, again, a totemic sort of connection. Therians are looked on by a lot of furries as giving *them* a bad name! "Oh look how crazy those therians are, they think they're actually werewolves!".

My sister-in-law is a fur. My roommate was one. I'm friends with several. They are often easier to tolerate than otherkin who often are so melodramatic about their spiritual beliefs... beliefs that could be *wrong* and we all *could* be furries who've flown off the deep end.

[Roark]

Very interesting perspectives, but truth be told I pondered this question cause truth is, before I came here I never heard the word otherkin til Hyraxlos sort of introduced me to it. I actually just thought I was some guy with a dragon in his spirit. Then I learned the word Furry after seeing furry art work. Then realised there were others that actually dressed as who they beleived they were what they think they are. So I came to the idea if I was that or otherkin, but then as you explained otherkin are ones struggling beside themselves to live with the other half of themselves. But still even though I know myself to be otherkin, I still find me wanting to dress up like a dragon and go about as normal, but of course I would feel abit subconsious when people looked at me weirdly. I dont know if it is possible to be both. Doubt it. Anyway I thank you as you've helped answer some of the questions I felt was necassary to know to live an okay life as an otherkin which is what I claim to be from this day forth, till there is no evendence saying there isn't such a thing as it.
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The blood of that which you beleive run deep within, if you feel this then there is no need to doubt.

[dfangd]

I second Shiari's thoughts on the matter. Otherkin and therians tend to be a bit more discreet about their affinity with certain animals, while furries gravitate towards a more open, outgoing disposition when it comes to their own. However, that is the stereotypical perception... there are most definitely exceptions to each "rule".
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[Jasriella]

To be honest I have never heard of furries until this thread was posted. And I did question my beliefs again on if I was psychologically deluding myself that I was something else and not just wanting to be something else. But then you two, Roark and dfangd, answered the questions that began burning through my mind.

I can't see myself personally pouring my soul out to someone and explaining to them who and what I believe myself to be. I have found that I actually don't want others to know about me.

And also I have found that I, on occasion, do want to dress, well not necessarily "dress up", but wear something that I can associate with being dragon in an attempt to get closer to that being I feel within.

What I will do though, and I have begun to start drawing it out, is a series of tattoos throughout my body. The major piece will be my wings. Starting from the top of my shoulders and going all the way down to my rear with scales along where the wings don't cover. Of course folded, partly as a symbol that I have yet to open them and take my own flight, and partly as a fact that I can fit more with them being folded than open.


And there I go again ranting my personal beliefs over a thread where they don't necessarily belong .

Edited: Spelling ~Namhias.
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I am trapped between heaven and hell. My wings carry me upon the winds. Above lies heaven, below hell. Yet I must land in hell to soar in heaven. I am a Dragon!