I need help identifying myself

[lithewolfox]

So here's the deal. I've been a furry since middle school, and I'm now an adult. My fursona has matured and has changed bit by bit over the years, just as I have. Every change I've made to my sona reflects changes in my own life; you can still recognize the person, but the personality shines through more than ever.

I'm familiar with otherkins and therians, and my mate and a friend are of the two, respectively. I know what I am doesn't quite fit the definition of either, so I need some insight. I very closely identify with my fursona, and could never imagine myself identifying as anyone other than them or myself. The best way I can describe the connection is like having an identical twin. I gladly consider having other fursonas, but they would never hold the same meaning to me, and on the slight chance that I would ever have a fursuit of a secondary fursona, it would feel odd being someone or posing as someone whom I'm not. Now, I don't fully imagine myself as my sona (thus eliminating otherkin); I know I'm not anything but human, though I don't necessarily enjoy the idea of being human. I feel that I maybe possess the "soul" of my fursona, but not replacing my own soul. I also don't feel that I am in general a wolfox, but specifically like my own fursona (which eliminates therian).

@~@ I know this is all very confusing, but any help with figuring this out would be greatly appreciated! Feel free to ask me to clarify anything. UwU

 

[Deleted member 82554]

You're simply your fursona, nothing more, nothing less. Roughly translated, Otherkins are those that believe they are an animal trapped in a human body, whereas Therians are those that identify with a spirit animal without the belief that they actually are one. If anything, you're just one that identifies closely with their fursona; my other one is like that too.

 

[Shameful_Cole]

You are... uh, you. You identify closely with your fursona only because it is a different way to draw yourself, as some form of an anthropomorphic animal. You know that you are a human, doing human things, being a human, and you've made it clear that you know. Just remember that your fursona comes from your own thoughts, and that you created it. If all you are doing is looking for a word to identify yourself with, start with your name.

 

[RandomNinja11]

Just tell people to check their privilege whenever they assume something.

 

[SomeDumbFluff]

Here's how I identify myself if it is of any help to you.

I am really pretending to actually believe I am a dog.
and doing a good job of it. ;3

 

[JumboWumbo]

You are thinking way too much into this. The reason you "identify" with your character so much is because the character is just you as a cartoon animal.

 

[zidders]

Why do you 'have' to identify as anything? Don't be in such a hurry to label yourself. To most non-furries you're only ever going to be the person they see on the surface. That's just life. To the few people who ever get to know you on an intimate basis (and that doesn't have to mean in a sexual way) you're going to be who they come to know you as. If that person just happens to be someone who they come to see as the being you consider your fursona then just appreciate that they care about you enough to respect that (as long as you're OK with it of course).

Speaking for myself my close friends and even a lot of my not so close but still good friends see me as Zid the glam rocking roo. They think of me every time they see a kangaroo and while they understand I'm human and even know what I look like they still prefer to think of me with fur. That makes me happy. These aren't just furries by the way-some of these folks are the heads of game studios and even some of the people who helped create D&D. Of course it helps most of them are bronies so they kinda get the concept of a 'ponysona' already. EDIT: Not trying to brag. Just trying to show you that there are non-furries out there who will understand or at least do their best to accept you so don't worry so much about being 'weird' or 'different'.

At any rate again-don't be so quick to label yourself. Labels can be helpful and even profoundly positive and life changing but they're not something you should feel rushed into. Allow yourself time to get to know yourself and more than anything love & accept yourself as much as you can because no matter what you're worth your own love, acceptance and kindness. As well as everyone else's, too.

 

[Zipline]

Have you checked inside your wallet? That should tell you who you are. But cereal, you are a furry, no more. Anything beyond belongs in the land of social justice warriors pretending to have 50+ genders.

 

[lithewolfox]

I was only asking if there was a word for it, like otherkin or whatnot. I don't have a need for identification, but knowledge of something more is always nice to have. And I may not be an SJW/keyboard warrior, but I am of a gender outside of the binary, so thanks for that, Zipline. :^)

 

[Mobius]

I think the label would just be "regular furry".

I very closely identify with my fursona, and could never imagine myself identifying as anyone other than them or myself. The best way I can describe the connection is like having an identical twin.

Yep. Your fursona's just a fluffy version of yourself. I think that applies to most, if not all, of us.

 

[lithewolfox]

I think the label would just be "regular furry".

Yep. Your fursona's just a fluffy version of yourself. I think that applies to most, if not all, of us.

Yeah, I wasn't sure just how many people felt that way. A lot of furries I've talked to have been quite casual about it, like they have these characters that they love but don't feel one with any particular character. I was starting to think that maybe I'm crazy, haha. Nice to know that plenty of others feel the same, though.

 

[Yakamaru]

I was only asking if there was a word for it, like otherkin or whatnot. I don't have a need for identification, but knowledge of something more is always nice to have. And I may not be an SJW/keyboard warrior, but I am of a gender outside of the binary, so thanks for that, Zipline. :^)

I hope you understand that gender = sex, right? And a different sex = different genitals.

Our species is sexually dimorphic. We've only had two genders/sexes for millions of years.

 

[DravenDonovan]

Maybe your a furry stylist.

 

[lithewolfox]

I hope you understand that gender = sex, right? And a different sex = different genitals.

Our species is sexually dimorphic. We've only had two genders/sexes for millions of years.

Did anyone say sex? Because I'm pretty sure that both Zipline and I said gender. And no, there's three sexes. Intersex is the third.

 

[ChapterAquila92]

And no, there's three sexes. Intersex is the third.

Is there some chromosomal make-up, yet to be discovered, that allows for this third sex to appear in humans?

There are examples of species in this world that that are either hermaphroditic, can genderswap if there's not enough of the opposite sex around, or reproduce asexually. Humans do not naturally have those characteristics, no matter what physiological quirks an individual might express that appears to suggest otherwise.

 

[Shameful_Cole]

Is there some chromosomal make-up, yet to be discovered, that allows for this third sex to appear in humans?

There are examples of species in this world that that are either hermaphroditic, can genderswap if there's not enough of the opposite sex around, or reproduce asexually. Humans do not naturally have those characteristics, no matter what physiological quirks an individual might express that appears to suggest otherwise.

Um... There actually are people that biologically don't fit into either category of male or female, so intersex or herm isn't really crazy SJW Tumblrina land or anything. You should try googling, "intersex," some time. It's actually a bit interesting.

 

[Yakamaru]

Did anyone say sex? Because I'm pretty sure that both Zipline and I said gender. And no, there's three sexes. Intersex is the third.

Intersex is NOT a third sex. It's a mix of the two we have. It's a defect during the growth process in the womb. Could be genetics, hormone imbalance of the mother, physiology, biology or a wide range of other effects/defects causing intersex people to appear.

For there to be a third sex/gender we'd

1. Need a whole new set of genitals conforming to neither male or female on how it looks, how it functions and be fully functional
2. Whole new set of Chromosomes, not only X and Y. No matter how you combine X and Y it's still binary
3. Need hormones fitting of that sex/gender
4. And of course the biological, chromosomical, physiological and genetical role it would have in relation to males and females
5. Evidence is everything. Claiming something exist without giving ANY proof is not proof. A claim itself is not proof

Our species have been sexually dimorphic for millions of years. And yes, in that time there have been exceptions to the rules as there are now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_dimorphism

A third sex does not simply pop out outta nowhere in a decade or two because someone said it would. For there to have been a third sex/gender in humans that sex/gender would have had to evolve alongside us. For hundreds of thousands of years.

Recommendation: Pick up a biology book.

 

[ChapterAquila92]

Um... There actually are people that biologically don't fit into either category of male or female, so intersex or herm isn't really crazy SJW Tumblrina land or anything. You should try googling, "intersex," some time. It's actually a bit interesting.

That is called a genetic chimera, which in itself is a birth defect caused by the fusing of two fertilized ova during the early stages of pregnancy.

This only serves to illustrate my point: this isn't true hermaphroditism. If anything, intersex has more in common with how anglerfish reproduce, with the male becoming little more than a pair of gonads dangling from the female.

 

[Shameful_Cole]

That is called a genetic chimera, which in itself is a birth defect caused by the fusing of two fertilized ova during the early stages of pregnancy.

This only serves to illustrate my point: this isn't true hermaphroditism. If anything, intersex has more in common with how anglerfish reproduce, with the male becoming little more than a pair of gonads dangling from the female.

I'm not going to say you're wrong, mostly because you aren't, but take that in the context of gender identity. The definition of gender is, "the state of being male or female (typically used with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones)." For someone that still doesn't fit perfectly into one category, whether it's a true hermaphrodite or not, it doesn't seem unreasonable to be a bit caught between the two identities, as the definition of gender actually only has room for two.

 

[Zipline]

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i feel so special. Are you hinting something at me? *//vv\\*

 

[Zipline]

Um... There actually are people that biologically don't fit into either category of male or female, so intersex or herm isn't really crazy SJW Tumblrina land or anything. You should try googling, "intersex," some time. It's actually a bit interesting.

I have "intersex" every time a woman comes over.

 

[Andromedahl]

Some cultures do have a third gender identity, not really a third sex. So I think it's safe to say that nonbinary identities are a thing, and doesn't have to be attached to being born intersex or somethin. There aren't 50 fuckin genders as far as I'm concerned tho.

 

[ChapterAquila92]

I'm not going to say you're wrong, mostly because you aren't, but take that in the context of gender identity. The definition of gender is, "the state of being male or female (typically used with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones)." For someone that still doesn't fit perfectly into one category, whether it's a true hermaphrodite or not, it doesn't seem unreasonable to be a bit caught between the two identities, as the definition of gender actually only has room for two.

It is worth bearing in mind that this conundrum afflicts a rather negligible percentage of the human population when taken as a whole, which is why not much thought is given to it in the first place. It's not an even distribution, with locales like Las Salinas where there is such a disproportionately high percentage that social acceptance is all but inevitable, but the thing to remember is that such places are the exception, not the rule.

 

[Shameful_Cole]

It is worth bearing in mind that this conundrum afflicts a rather negligible percentage of the human population when taken as a whole, which is why not much thought is given to it in the first place. It's not an even distribution, with locales like Las Salinas where there is such a disproportionately high percentage that social acceptance is all but inevitable, but the thing to remember is that such places are the exception, not the rule.

Yeah basically.

 

[Yakamaru]

I'm not going to say you're wrong, mostly because you aren't, but take that in the context of gender identity. The definition of gender is, "the state of being male or female (typically used with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones)." For someone that still doesn't fit perfectly into one category, whether it's a true hermaphrodite or not, it doesn't seem unreasonable to be a bit caught between the two identities, as the definition of gender actually only has room for two.

Sex, gender and gender IDENTITY are completely different aspects.

Sex is your physical sex, gender how you look physically, feminine or masculine, and are a direct result of hormones and chromosomes.

The two first are physical aspects, the last one a mental one.

Your mental state does not equate your physical state and vice versa. But they can and will affect each other.