I have a question that probably doesn't belong here...

[Love.Your.Hate.]

How did you guys figure out that you were goth? Cuz I am goth in many aspects, but not goth in many more aspects. What, in your opinions, must you be born like to be goth?  

[GilAskan]

This would be a fine place to ask, however, there's already a few threads all about this, I'm afraid.  

[x Socks x]

Born as? neutral

Anyway, I realized it when I looked up the definition to see once and for all what it really was, and it said "someone who listens to the Goth-rock style of music." I said, "hey, that's me!" But I would never introduce myself saying, "Hello, my name is Jacy, and I'm a goth! Lolzzz."  

[Verienkeli]

I've always had what most people would call a "morbid streak". On top of that I kind of slid over from punk to the grey area in between the two. So I guess if that's what you call goth, then I've always been this way.  

[Alice_K8]

I'm very comfortable and happy as a goth. It suits me quite well. I havn't always been one. For most of my life, I was a little prep. Only, I was constantly miserably depressed. It was against my nature to try to fit in with that crowd. I didn't realise that goth was perfect for me until a few years ago, but I've always been a goth, regardless of weather or not I realised it.  

[GilAskan]

[ Brain Damage ]

Born as? neutral

Anyway, I realized it when I looked up the definition to see once and for all what it really was, and it said "someone who listens to the Goth-rock style of music." I said, "hey, that's me!" But I would never introduce myself saying, "Hello, my name is Jacy, and I'm a goth! Lolzzz."

Likewise. Though, I probably would introduce myself as a goth if any more than .1% of the population actually knew what it meant.  

[Kristoya]

For me it was a very, very gradual transformation into being "goth". Well, actually, I guess I always was mentally, but never had the wardrobe or music to match. sweatdrop (I was so creepy as a little kid. eek )

I always dressed in baggy pants and black shirts, but in about 6th grade, I started discovering how much I loved music. I couldn't get enough of it, and I explored every genre. I discovered a few bands that really heavily influenced me and pulled me deeper into this sub-culture. And then, in 7th grade, I discovered Hot Topic. Back then, it wasn't liked because it was somewhat mainstream, but it actually sold clothes that could be considered goth. (Not like now. stare ) And then I got into horror movies and Burton and art and the like. The morbidness, however, I had possessed since birth. xp  

[Faren_of_FaelThas]

GilAskan

[ Brain Damage ]

Born as? neutral

Anyway, I realized it when I looked up the definition to see once and for all what it really was, and it said "someone who listens to the Goth-rock style of music." I said, "hey, that's me!" But I would never introduce myself saying, "Hello, my name is Jacy, and I'm a goth! Lolzzz."

Likewise. Though, I probably would introduce myself as a goth if any more than .1% of the population actually knew what it meant.

i think i got a fairly good idea of what that means. i know someone else who said that they were gothic in that way. 3nodding

as far as the question of the topic goes: i don't think i'm really a goth in the first place. more like i'm just an avid hard rocker/writer who likes to dress gothic. mrgreen

i can say that i started off as a wannabe/poser goth 3nodding . i grew up obessed with idea of being the 'loner cool kid' so i did more or less everything i could to distance myself from everyone else. all i ended up with was an empty life with nothing to look forward to so being that my dad liked games i got into them too. and then i got obessed with them. so instead of being the 'loner cool kid' i ended up being the 'loner geek kid'. towards the end of my highschool years i started wearing black and said things just to try and scare people away.

after a little while i discovered that i tried to fill my empty, pointless life with games and i wanted to scare people so that they would feel as hurt and alone as i did. and it just wasn't getting me anywhere. so i stopped trying to purposefully drive people away from me and then let their comments about me just slid off my back, y'know just play around with it. my next step was to rid myself of games, which i have cut down considerably and i don't plan on getting any new games or game systems what so ever.

so why am i here then? well after i took a good look at my life i realized that trying to be so self-conscious about my appearance to others is just stupid, though i still liked the gothic style of dress. i'm not gothic but i guess in some ways i am 3nodding  

[MysteryCross]

I don't think you have to be "born" into it at all; it jus takes time to gradually appear for me.... Some faster than others, [or slower] but all the same. I found out I wanted to be goth after watching MTV and seeing AFI for the first time. Davey Havok is my idle dude! XD But it can differ on many different things like music, clothing style, hair, make up, & etc..... When I looked up the word "goth" in the dictionary it said "a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement." Well, I do have a sick personality, so it fit me. I really don't think there's any specific way to explain what it means, let alone how to become one without being too wordy....  

[-Resurrected Writer-]

Well, my discovery of the subculture probably first started with me writing horror stories, which are more creative than spooky or tense (though I enjoy including the latter elements in them), and I have a good interest in reading fiction. My appreciation of gray skies and rainy weather (which were probably hereditary from my mother) was also a possible indicator, in addition to appreciating the silence of my church.

Later on, however, I discovered the different styles of music and dress of the gothic subculture and found an appreciation for them. In a nutshell, that's about it.  

[Perestroyka]

Goth is something that IMHO you grow into as you grow up. To me goth is less about being dressed head to toe in black and more about literature and being a unique, if somewhat dark, person.  

[LazyDruid]

Well I must say that about two years ago I was a hick O_O
But then again if I could go back in time I would beat the s**t out of myself for being so stupid.
When my dad kicked my Mom, brother and I out of the house so he could move his girlfriend in I kinda went all sorts of pissed off and hated everything that had to do with him, which was a lot. Then, in my new school the only people that would accept the new kid were these two goth girls who were in my algebra class. (They were smart, like me) I listened to them talk about their kinda stuff, like anime and drawing and I started liking it. I liked the idea of anarchy, too. My boyfriend now says that I'm not goth I just like to dress goth. You tell me, do I fit in this "goth" labeling system? I like the music, anime, drawing, dark poetry, the clothes, and anarchy. Do I "fit in"?  

[Love.Your.Hate.]

MysteryCross

Davey Havok is my idle dude! XD

Mine too!! blaugh  

[Henneth Annun]

GilAskan

[ Brain Damage ]

Born as? neutral

Anyway, I realized it when I looked up the definition to see once and for all what it really was, and it said "someone who listens to the Goth-rock style of music." I said, "hey, that's me!" But I would never introduce myself saying, "Hello, my name is Jacy, and I'm a goth! Lolzzz."

Likewise. Though, I probably would introduce myself as a goth if any more than .1% of the population actually knew what it meant.

Same here...now, if you introduce yourself as goth and don't dress in some stereotypical way, you'll probably get called a poser or something...or they won't take you seriouslly. I've never introduced myself as one so I wouldn't know though...  

[Mage The Red]

Hmm... what does it truly mean to be "Goth"? How would one "fit in"? Yes, mindless questions which most people know the answer to. I ask them, on an account of curiosity. I don't exactly know anyone who could be considered "Goth". I more or less know a lot of Emos, Nerds, Geeks, Preps, Jocks, Punks, Skaters, and so on. I only know Goths from the internet. <='( Otherwise, I do not know any.

As for how I learned that I was one? Well, I must have been one all my life, but I never realized. I always had a great fascination with gore, blood, the color black, and other things like that. I did not truly know of it, but sometimes, I was very, very depressed. I kinda became that way easily.