Public view of "Otherkin"

[Kraken the Meek]

How do you think others view the term 'Otherkin'?

What does it mean to you?

[mistakenangel]

Well, the media sort of presents it as a freak show, so I'd say the majority of mundanes that aren't Internet savvy and don't know what exactly Otherkin is tend to view it as a curiosity.

I think mostly, mundanes view 'Kin as different, misguided, or downright nuts. I mean, it's the same as being transgendered, in a way; it's a different way of being that others who don't experience it can't understand very well.

(I use the term "mundanes" loosely, mostly because I used to read the Xanth books. :) )

I view Otherkin, and in fact anyone who feels they were born into the wrong body or anything similar, as a valid identity, just because-- well, I don't care if a person I.D.'s as a toaster, everyone has the right to be themselves.

[HeavenlyFangs]

I think there have to be certain limits on what is accepted as valid for other-kin. If someone identifies as a toaster, I will laugh at them without shame. Yes, there is a right to self-expression, but there is no right to wisdom. People can THINK they are something and be wrong. I will freely judge those people in my head and possibly say something, depending on what I am judging. The toaster would get laughter and dismissal. However I would consider something like planet-kin to be potentially valid. There are different levels of rational thought, and I think that SOME standards should be held regarding this community.

[mistakenangel]

Hmm.... well, the "toaster" thing was more metaphorical, but I get your point.

People can think they're something and be wrong, yes. But I don't see how anyone can actually verify how anyone else is wrong without a doubt. In the past, I've bounced my ideas off others, and I fully admit what I i.d. as might not be the case (which is why I said I 'i.d'.), because I don't have enough data as of yet, but verifying things without a doubt is tricky.

Yeah, I see what you're saying. What I said would be a slippery slope in some ways. O_o So what you're saying is don't throw reality-testing abilities out the window.

The "questioning" process would come in handy, then, I think.