I want to start this thread because I'm curious as to what people's definitions are of being a "furry" and also how they identify themselves as being furry. I'll start...
Personally I used to think being a fur meant you dressed up in fur suits and went to cons and stuff. I honestly cant stand fur suits....for some reason they scare the crap out of mexp. Yeah I'll admit I like all the porn...a lot...*cough* and that's probably what got me started into the fandom and how i first identified with the fandom. I don't think its mandatory to have a fursona. I know plenty of people who identify themselves as being furry but don't have one. Personally me fursona is as a changeling...so i guess not really traditional in the sense of being a wolf or a fox or cat.
Nooooooow....GO!whee
Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 8:29 am
Uhm...well, I feel like being a furry is simply connecting with a more animalistic part of yourself. I feel like by getting in tune with the animals that describe you the most, and if you take the time to truly identify with the shape and design of said animal, then you are furry, fursona or not. Though, I enjoy the thought of a changeling. ^+^? Reminds me of mlp fim, lol.
For me, it's a natural product of being socially awkward and watching too many Disney films.
Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 6:56 pm
Soriku the Ookami
Uhm...well, I feel like being a furry is simply connecting with a more animalistic part of yourself. I feel like by getting in tune with the animals that describe you the most, and if you take the time to truly identify with the shape and design of said animal, then you are furry, fursona or not. Though, I enjoy the thought of a changeling. ^+^? Reminds me of mlp fim, lol.
I completely agree with you on that one. I do feel there is, at least for me, an animalistic or perhaps primal is a better term, connection.
Lol yes, and I am a brony, so I can see that. But Ive identified with being a changeling for a while now before mlpfim was even around.
But very well said, I appreciate your response heart
immortalwolfx
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 9:03 am
Bampot
For me, it's a natural product of being socially awkward and watching too many Disney films.
I see I see, I have noticed the social awkwardness trend among many furries. But i dont think that that would be a correlated cause. Though there is a since of unity and less social anxiety stigma when one merges into a fandom like fur so perhaps it is a sort of product.
and as for disney im pretty sure thats the first dose of furry anyone ever got as a child
Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 1:26 am
I love furry art and think it's a pretty cool fandom. I'm also into furry porn.
But I'm a Therian, not a furry in any other sense.
I love furry art and think it's a pretty cool fandom. I'm also into furry porn.
But I'm a Therian, not a furry in any other sense.
*google searches Therian shamelessly* lol ah so a shapeshifter kinda like me...shweet, thanks for the response
I think the art and porn does play a big roll in the fandom and is probably a very common reason as to why people start to identify with the fur fandom in the first place
Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 11:29 am
immortalwolfx
*google searches Therian shamelessly* lol ah so a shapeshifter kinda like me...shweet, thanks for the response
I think the art and porn does play a big roll in the fandom and is probably a very common reason as to why people start to identify with the fur fandom in the first place
Well, we're shifters, but we don't physically shape shift ^.^;
I mostly mental shift, but last night I successfully had a phantom shift in my feet. 3nodding
The best definition is one which covers the most, excluding the least, yet still being specific.
So far, the best definition I've found is: Furry is a subculture focused around the hobby and appreciation of anthropomorphic arts* & crafts* with emphasis on animals**.
* Includes the written word, music, animation, traditional art, digital, photographic, print, etc. ** Anthropomorphizing can apply to anything non-human, so giving a toaster human traits is making it anthropomorphic. Generally the hobby focuses around animals rather than plants or machines. "Emphasis" allows for broader reach, but still contains the spectrum to prevent confusion and overlap into other genres and even scientific fields.
Note: I often draw comparisons to bikers. You can own a motorcycle and not be a "biker", just as you can be a biker and not own a motorcycle. It's also the whole rather than the parts, each part adding to but not defining the whole.
Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2012 8:16 am
Kit Kat Purrpurr
immortalwolfx
*google searches Therian shamelessly* lol ah so a shapeshifter kinda like me...shweet, thanks for the response
I think the art and porn does play a big roll in the fandom and is probably a very common reason as to why people start to identify with the fur fandom in the first place
Well, we're shifters, but we don't physically shape shift ^.^;
I mostly mental shift, but last night I successfully had a phantom shift in my feet. 3nodding
Hmm oh ok...could you explain the difference between shifter and shapeshift im a little confused by that sweatdrop
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Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2012 8:18 am
Garek Maxwell
The best definition is one which covers the most, excluding the least, yet still being specific.
So far, the best definition I've found is: Furry is a subculture focused around the hobby and appreciation of anthropomorphic arts* & crafts* with emphasis on animals**.
* Includes the written word, music, animation, traditional art, digital, photographic, print, etc. ** Anthropomorphizing can apply to anything non-human, so giving a toaster human traits is making it anthropomorphic. Generally the hobby focuses around animals rather than plants or machines. "Emphasis" allows for broader reach, but still contains the spectrum to prevent confusion and overlap into other genres and even scientific fields.
Note: I often draw comparisons to bikers. You can own a motorcycle and not be a "biker", just as you can be a biker and not own a motorcycle. It's also the whole rather than the parts, each part adding to but not defining the whole.
Well...s**t...lol give it to the VC completely give a post to /thread. That is by far the best definition I've heard of to date and im deff going to have to use that one to explain it to people who ask. I especially like the biker reference. I have several friends who love all the furry art (*cough* like the porn *cough*) but never have associated with being a furry.
Thank you very well done 3nodding
Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2012 11:02 am
immortalwolfx
Kit Kat Purrpurr
immortalwolfx
*google searches Therian shamelessly* lol ah so a shapeshifter kinda like me...shweet, thanks for the response
I think the art and porn does play a big roll in the fandom and is probably a very common reason as to why people start to identify with the fur fandom in the first place
Well, we're shifters, but we don't physically shape shift ^.^;
I mostly mental shift, but last night I successfully had a phantom shift in my feet. 3nodding
Hmm oh ok...could you explain the difference between shifter and shapeshift im a little confused by that sweatdrop
Well.... Tha majority of Therians can shift in some way. There are a lot of different ways we shift. To list a few: -Mental -Phantom -Astral -Dream -Spiritual -Cameo And more. I have personally mentally-shifted and two nights ago I phantom-shifted for the first time, which was really exciting. whee
When you m-shift, you basically let your Theriotype sort of "come out." you can allow it to different degrees. I've m-shifted a few times. One of those times was at school when I was trying to ph-shift. It became hard for me to stand up on two legs, and I had the intense urge to hunt down the other students. Here is my first m-shift:
I've never felt the way I did. At first I was seeing tunnel vision, and my view was small. I had to think of every detail about what I was. But, as time we t on, my view got wider. And I did more things automatically. Like yawning the way they do, and growling. I roared. I really roared.
And every time I roared, I felt this burning sensation starting in my gut, then slowly working its way through my body. I felt my eyes vibrating in their sockets. I don't even know how to do that. And my limps were vibrating.
At one point, I was envisioning climbing up a tree, but then suddenly my vision went grey. I couldn't see anything, I wanted the fog to be clear. So I growled and snarled and roared. And eventually, I felt the vibrating reach its peak, and then stop. And I could see. See very very clearly (my eyes were closed the whole time).
Clearly.
As a jaguar.
I envisioned a landscape not known well by jaguars; a grassy field with almost no trees. I began to pant in the hot sun and felt the heat getting under my fur. Flies started bothering me and I shook my head. I looked around and spotted what looked like a jungle of sorts off in the distance. So I started off at a run towards it. About midway to it, I began to get really thirsty, so I lifted my head in the air and sniffed. I could smell a spring not far off, and when I get there, I leaned down to the water and lapped it up with my tongue. When I turned around to head back, I came face to face with another jaguar. We exchanged growls and angry looks, but I managed to get past him. When I arrived at the forest, I climbed up a tree and laid down in the branches. And I knew. I could open my eyes and be a jaguar.
So I opened my eyes actually, and I could still see the landscape. Even if I was looking directly at my room, I saw a faded image of the plain. And I still felt like a jaguar. I got down off my bed because Temari kept trying to get in my room by annoying me with her scratching at the door. So I snarled at the door and she stopped. Then I jumped back on the bed and laid down again, where I set my head down and relaxed for a few minutes.then I realized I would have to become human again, so I had to envision myself with my human features again. And slowly, I became human again. I'm all good now.
Ph-shifting is where you feel phantom limbs of your Theriotype. Some people actually feel their limbs all the time, and it can't be "shut off" although you can try to ignore it if it interferes with your ability to live your daily life. I've never felt phantom limbs, but sometimes I feel phantom fur on my stomach. However, two nights ago I relaxed and tried to ph-shift, and I successfully managed to feel paws on my feet. This was huge for me because I had failed to ph-shift all other times I tried.
Therians also shift involuntarily. Stress is a huge trigger of involuntary shifts. There was one person (on the site I go on) who thought she was being approached by a strange man, and thought he was chasing her, and she felt her phantom teeth and tail and such and felt the urge to flee (her Theriotype is a wolf). I haven't been under enough stress like that since I learned I was a Therian to know if it happens to me.
Well...s**t...lol give it to the VC completely give a post to /thread. That is by far the best definition I've heard of to date and im deff going to have to use that one to explain it to people who ask. I especially like the biker reference. I have several friends who love all the furry art (*cough* like the porn *cough*) but never have associated with being a furry.
Thank you very well done 3nodding
I became VC more by accident than anything, so it's not like I'm the final word on anything. blaugh I just figure a formal definition of the fandom makes it easier for everyone to understand so I tweak the wording and such every time I post to get it more formal and condensed. That was probably my most refined version yet.
I didn't mean to make it seem like that was the end of the discussion though. sweatdrop It's totally fine to keep expressing opinions and ideas! gonk
Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2012 7:38 pm
Kit Kat Purrpurr
immortalwolfx
Kit Kat Purrpurr
immortalwolfx
*google searches Therian shamelessly* lol ah so a shapeshifter kinda like me...shweet, thanks for the response
I think the art and porn does play a big roll in the fandom and is probably a very common reason as to why people start to identify with the fur fandom in the first place
Well, we're shifters, but we don't physically shape shift ^.^;
I mostly mental shift, but last night I successfully had a phantom shift in my feet. 3nodding
Hmm oh ok...could you explain the difference between shifter and shapeshift im a little confused by that sweatdrop
Well.... Tha majority of Therians can shift in some way. There are a lot of different ways we shift. To list a few: -Mental -Phantom -Astral -Dream -Spiritual -Cameo And more. I have personally mentally-shifted and two nights ago I phantom-shifted for the first time, which was really exciting. whee
When you m-shift, you basically let your Theriotype sort of "come out." you can allow it to different degrees. I've m-shifted a few times. One of those times was at school when I was trying to ph-shift. It became hard for me to stand up on two legs, and I had the intense urge to hunt down the other students. Here is my first m-shift:
I've never felt the way I did. At first I was seeing tunnel vision, and my view was small. I had to think of every detail about what I was. But, as time we t on, my view got wider. And I did more things automatically. Like yawning the way they do, and growling. I roared. I really roared.
And every time I roared, I felt this burning sensation starting in my gut, then slowly working its way through my body. I felt my eyes vibrating in their sockets. I don't even know how to do that. And my limps were vibrating.
At one point, I was envisioning climbing up a tree, but then suddenly my vision went grey. I couldn't see anything, I wanted the fog to be clear. So I growled and snarled and roared. And eventually, I felt the vibrating reach its peak, and then stop. And I could see. See very very clearly (my eyes were closed the whole time).
Clearly.
As a jaguar.
I envisioned a landscape not known well by jaguars; a grassy field with almost no trees. I began to pant in the hot sun and felt the heat getting under my fur. Flies started bothering me and I shook my head. I looked around and spotted what looked like a jungle of sorts off in the distance. So I started off at a run towards it. About midway to it, I began to get really thirsty, so I lifted my head in the air and sniffed. I could smell a spring not far off, and when I get there, I leaned down to the water and lapped it up with my tongue. When I turned around to head back, I came face to face with another jaguar. We exchanged growls and angry looks, but I managed to get past him. When I arrived at the forest, I climbed up a tree and laid down in the branches. And I knew. I could open my eyes and be a jaguar.
So I opened my eyes actually, and I could still see the landscape. Even if I was looking directly at my room, I saw a faded image of the plain. And I still felt like a jaguar. I got down off my bed because Temari kept trying to get in my room by annoying me with her scratching at the door. So I snarled at the door and she stopped. Then I jumped back on the bed and laid down again, where I set my head down and relaxed for a few minutes.then I realized I would have to become human again, so I had to envision myself with my human features again. And slowly, I became human again. I'm all good now.
Ph-shifting is where you feel phantom limbs of your Theriotype. Some people actually feel their limbs all the time, and it can't be "shut off" although you can try to ignore it if it interferes with your ability to live your daily life. I've never felt phantom limbs, but sometimes I feel phantom fur on my stomach. However, two nights ago I relaxed and tried to ph-shift, and I successfully managed to feel paws on my feet. This was huge for me because I had failed to ph-shift all other times I tried.
Therians also shift involuntarily. Stress is a huge trigger of involuntary shifts. There was one person (on the site I go on) who thought she was being approached by a strange man, and thought he was chasing her, and she felt her phantom teeth and tail and such and felt the urge to flee (her Theriotype is a wolf). I haven't been under enough stress like that since I learned I was a Therian to know if it happens to me.
Oh wow, thanks for the info that all sounds really interesting, something to look into for sure. Ill also check out that website and look into it a little bit more. Ive never heard of this and its something that really peaks my interest.
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Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2012 7:39 pm
Garek Maxwell
immortalwolfx
Well...s**t...lol give it to the VC completely give a post to /thread. That is by far the best definition I've heard of to date and im deff going to have to use that one to explain it to people who ask. I especially like the biker reference. I have several friends who love all the furry art (*cough* like the porn *cough*) but never have associated with being a furry.
Thank you very well done 3nodding
I became VC more by accident than anything, so it's not like I'm the final word on anything. blaugh I just figure a formal definition of the fandom makes it easier for everyone to understand so I tweak the wording and such every time I post to get it more formal and condensed. That was probably my most refined version yet.
I didn't mean to make it seem like that was the end of the discussion though. sweatdrop It's totally fine to keep expressing opinions and ideas! gonk
Oh yeah, no I say keep the comments coming I was just surprised by such a well written and succinct response. Its perfect for a textbook definition and im still curious as to what other people will say as well as other peoples experiences.
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