Author Topic: Were's vs Furry??? (Read 7602 times)

Earthstar · « **on:** July 01, 2004, 04:04:48 pm »

I was on the were boards a while ago and they had a topic that asked what are furrys. Any of them said you guys was only fan's of human/animal art and that you choose that animal you are and that you really are nothing more, but fakers. Or want to be animal's. How do you feel on this subject? Do you really belive you are an animal inside like the were's belive? Really what is the diff beween were's and furry lifestylers? Just some questions.

Savaaha · « **Reply #1 on:** July 01, 2004, 04:37:24 pm »

I am a were.. to me its just a deeper spiritual connection to equines. Some weres are funny and call furries posers or fakes. You really cant compare the 2... totally different motives.
Im also Furry.. this is becouse I like to fursuit(even if its only a tail).. I do love the non-yiffy art and I am a fan of anthro characters.
Therians/Weres dont choose thier animal counterpart.. its a feeling they have, that connection. Ive even met one who had a connection to earwigs.
Ask 10 different people and youll get 15 different awnsers.. Its very broad subject and touchy about somethings.

Party Pony · « **Reply #2 on:** July 01, 2004, 04:40:39 pm »

Good question.
My thought would be (and I used to study shapeshifting a lot), that historically were's are folk who follow the idea that they can change into an animal. Werewolves are the most common, but there are werebears, weretigers, werehyenas, werejaguars, etc depending on the culture. (As a rule, the were beast was usually the major predator of the area.)
Furries would be folks who feel a spirital tie to the animal. I would say it more like totems or some Native American/Shaman beliefs.
Both beliefs can exist in the same culture. For example, in Japan, it is believed that the fox spirit is so strong, it can actually possess a human body. That is it would be a human with the spirit of a fox. (A friend once said this was my case.) However, Japan also believes in the kitsune, a mystical fox that can shapeshift into a human. One is a spiritual connection, one is a physical change.
But quite frankly, having dealt with lots of were's in fandom, they usually use the difference to "elevate" and differentiate themselves above furry fandom. Kind of the way "true science fiction fans" only read books and don't like sci-fi movies. ':p'

Supersonic · « **Reply #3 on:** July 01, 2004, 04:51:12 pm »

I see what your talking about here. I think were's and furry lifestylers are about the same. Just well I don't know furry's have more fun with it in a cartoonie way and were's take it all serieus?

Now I'm confused. Were/furry, your belive your an animal or thing in some short of way so really we're all in the same boat?

Zarathus · « **Reply #4 on:** July 01, 2004, 07:51:04 pm »

Quote (Savaaha @ July 01 2004, 4:37 pm)

Ask 10 different people and youll get 15 different awnsers.. Its very broad subject and touchy about somethings.

Yeah...that is true. Everyone will have different ideas, and this does seem to be a subject where there is no...set answer.

Autumn Fire · « **Reply #5 on:** July 01, 2004, 08:02:09 pm »

I don't think any are imposters. Theres's just a choice in one where there is no choice in the other. If the defintion savaanha (I'm sorry if I spelled your name wrong) gave is correct. Then I am a were. I feel a deep connection with wolves that I feel with no other. But either way, none are fakers.

A difficult subject no doubt.

Savaaha · « **Reply #6 on:** July 01, 2004, 10:53:26 pm »

Now worries on the name mispelling LOL Happens all the time. As far as fakers go.. there are some but again I think they are the rarer fruits (pun indended) , ones in the fandom strictly and completely for the pornographic aspect.

Eidolon · « **Reply #7 on:** July 01, 2004, 11:26:54 pm »

Furry and Lycanthropism/Therianthropism is DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE! I am a Furry lifestyler, I am an artist, writer/poet, I'm planning my fursuit, I love teh yiff...

'>

I am also a Therianthropic panther, I feel a deep connection to panther's that I can't explain (leopards, not jaguars)...I love panthers and leopards...my room is painted in leopard spots, I have leopard print blankets and sheets, towels, curtains, artwork, bookcovers...I don't believe in that shifting stuff...I do believe that I am a black leopard in the body of a man... ':shock:'

But like I said, it's different for everyone...and remember, just because we can't prove it doesn't mean it isn't real...we are limited to this world by 5 senses (some 6, lucky ducks!

'>...and science has it's limits too...

Note: Lycanthropism deals strictly with werewolves, while Therianthropism deals with any animal...so one could be a Furry, Lycanthrope, and Therianthrope...LOL

Nahuel · « **Reply #8 on:** July 02, 2004, 05:32:17 am »

It's true that everyone's definition is different, so I'll give mine for the sake of research. I'm typing this up without reading it over too much, so if I offend anyone, I apologize in advance - this wasn't meant to be degrading to one group or the other in any way.

I think furries are people who like the art, fursuits, whatever. Just people that like anthropomorphics in some degree (some of course more than others). Furries can choose their fursona, they could make something up because they think "Hey, I've never seena platypus-anthro before" and make it their fursona if they want. Or they can feel they have a certain connection to an animal, usually not to the degree of being trapped in the wrong body. Some don't have a fursona at all, they could be here for the art or the community.

Weres are in my opinion the pople that feel they don't just have a connection to some kind of animal, but that they have an animal's soul in a human body, sometimes they share traits with their animal. The majority of weres believe in some kind of shifting - mentally or physically (even though no one's actually proven that). Some grow phantom limbs belonging to their animal side. As far as I know (granted, that's not much further than I can toss a car) not all people have an animal inside them waiting to come out, like weres have. This may make some weres more elitist than furs are.

You could be a were, but not be a fur.
You could be a fur, but not be a were.
You could be neither or you could be both.
It's all possible.
If you think that you're a an animal's soul in a human body, but you don't agree with what other weres tell you (about furry, about the nature of stuff) that doesn't change who you are. If you're a were, you can be a were without being in the community if you don't like the people there.

Again, the above is just my take on things, and it's probably not even what you'd call well-written. It probably doesn't reflect my exact feelings on the matter, but I can't put it into words any better than this, sorry. It's probably not even on-topic anymore.

« **Reply #9 on:** July 02, 2004, 08:10:35 am »

I'm a combo Therian/Furry...I go very, very spiritual with my Furryness, which brings me to be a bit of a Therian...but I will always consider myself Furry. Therians seem to be too...too serious, too "superior" and too antsy.

Raust Shieldra · « **Reply #10 on:** July 02, 2004, 10:46:28 am »

In the end of it all, no one can really tell what people are really conected to, only you know what touches your soul. What I find my soul connecting to is not of this plane of existance, yes I do indeed find myself connected to the gryphon. However as far as having the soul of a gryphon, that is not possible for me. I am Rhiktikah and our souls have no species, we simply are Rhiktikah. We are no better or worse than any one else, we simply are. Though it has been my experience in dealing with spiritual issues that most who would declare another culture a fake are indeed just that. One must question these individuals, for I certainly can't bring myself to belive that the whole community feels that way. Then again I have been wrong before, as is the greatest lesson any can learn, NOBODY is perfect in thier faith or views on what others are like or anything for that matter.
Well thats enough rambling from this gryphon for one thread.

Raust Shieldra

Hybrid Soul · « **Reply #11 on:** July 02, 2004, 11:54:58 am »

Might I ask what board you found it on? This topic seems oddly familiar...

Anyway, the whole were/furry thing is different for eveyone. There's no one answer that people will agree on. I personally don't see much difference in the two. *shrug* Just my opinion.

« **Reply #12 on:** July 02, 2004, 12:08:13 pm »

One thing I dont like, just a personal thing:

People saying Were and Therian interchangeably...for some reason "were" brings to mind either cheesy old werewolf movies, or things that shift when the see the moon, and go on a wild killing rampage...weres are Lycanthropes, but I don't consider weres to be Therian. There's actually a thick line between Lycanthrope and Therian, as far as I'm concerned, but that's jsut me

'>

leo wolfe · « **Reply #13 on:** July 02, 2004, 02:56:34 pm »

I am were. I have always had a pull to it, and have had a very strong connection where i actually had myself convinced that i was about to shapeshift at any time. that was about 2 years ago, when i didn't understand it all as well as i do now. I have always seen were as a physical change, though, so in a way, i am furry right now. Thats until i find out if there really is a way to physically shapeshift, which i have been told there is.

Savaaha · « **Reply #14 on:** July 02, 2004, 06:25:19 pm »

Im were in the sence of phantom and personality shifts.. spiritual type shifting.. Meaning.. feeling a horses mobile ears on me verses thes rounded fleshy things, having a tail,one I can swish and not some wad of hair hanging off my butt.

anyway heres a site of the different types of shifts in ther therian/were being...

Shift Encyclopedia

Sporty Fox · « **Reply #15 on:** July 03, 2004, 09:27:12 am »

I'm a furry and a were, I've always felt myself to be an anthro-fox but at the same time I feel a connection with wolves. When ever I get upset or am in pain my wolf side comes out, and it's a complete personality change. My furry/fox self is just me with fur but my were side is a whole different animal so to speak.
When my were side comes out my vision narrows (and becomes sensitive to movements), my hearing focuses on background sounds, I pay more attention to scents, I notice changes in the air currents around me, and become very short tempered. I become very instinctual, trusting my feelings to keep me safe. Of course I don't physicaly change but I do feel the phantom effects of becoming a wolf, ie tail, muzzle, ear movements, etc. It's not always a pleasant feeling, as I know that I will snap at anyone who annoys me.
For anyone to say that one is better than the other or that one is more in touch with thier animal side is just people being people, more elitism, more of the I'm better than you that I like to stay away from. I feel more in touch with my fox side than I do with my wolf side. With me, my wolf side takes over and controls, while I control what I do as a fox.

crash-clash · « **Reply #16 on:** July 06, 2004, 09:25:51 am »

My fur/were combination is that I don't feel spiritually connected to any one animal in paticular. I feel I have an admiration and love for all, and there are many that represent different aspect of my personality. Right now, I chose the rabbit because it represents my current joy towards life, my energy, and other things... but sometimes I feel completely different and my animal will change.

TigerWiccan · « **Reply #17 on:** July 06, 2004, 05:08:56 pm »

If you ask 10 people if they think they are were or furry and what they think about each, and one of them is me, the number of answers will likely jump from 15 to 20.

'>

I am definitely furry. No question there. But am I anything other than furry? Maybe. I feel a spiritual connection to my tiger self, but I'm not sure if I chose the tiger or if the tiger chose me. It's just one of those philosophical issues that has no right or wrong answer IMO.

Savaaha · « **Reply #18 on:** July 06, 2004, 07:47:34 pm »

A word about one were forum... Awereness
Seems its habit for alot of the weres there to judge everyone a poser unless proven to them otherwise.

sorry.. not gonna do it. Ive never judged a person before I knew them a day in my life and Ill not start judging people now.
thats one forum that can kiss my equine tail.

TigerWiccan · « **Reply #19 on:** July 07, 2004, 10:53:14 am »

Unfortunately, Savaaha, ALOT of were/therian/otherkin places are like that. That's one of the reasons I'm just stickin with furries right now.

'>

« **Reply #20 on:** July 07, 2004, 12:14:10 pm »

As I previously said, a lot of therians have a "better than thou" attitude towards Furries. However, not all, nowheres near it. Just like in anything else, it's the select few that mark things nutty for the rest of us.

TigerWiccan · « **Reply #21 on:** July 07, 2004, 12:59:07 pm »

True, Raef.

Humbajoe · « **Reply #22 on:** July 09, 2004, 12:35:24 am »

techincally, I'm both furry and therianthrope.

I've stopped associating myself with the therian community, however. I got tired of the holier-than-thou attitudes.

Tevnon · « **Reply #23 on:** July 11, 2004, 04:34:46 pm »

Quote (Savaaha @ July 01 2004, 10:53 pm)

Now worries on the name mispelling LOL Happens all the time. As far as fakers go.. there are some but again I think they are the rarer fruits (pun indended) , ones in the fandom strictly and completely for the pornographic aspect.

Actually, while that's a rather shallow reason to be furry, I wouldn't consider those fakers.
Furry is nothing more and nothing less than a love for anthromorphics. Just HOW you "love" anthromorphics is completely up to you.

Ceartainly, though, there are weres who are fakers. Face it, there are those who wish they could morph or who wish for a spiritual animal connection and just don't have it. Think about it, though, what does that make them? If they're wanting to be human animals would that not make them furry? No wonder the weres think we're fakers. That's because the fakers they encounter ARE furries, even if they don't know what being furry is. You almost can't blame them.

Interestingly enogh the moment I let go and accepted my furrieness I morphed for the first time. It was apparently something I was holding back before, which I now have no need to repress.

omigir · « **Reply #24 on:** July 11, 2004, 04:44:48 pm »

simply put, we are all difrent.. it isnt fair that judment should be passed on a groupe of people, that are all difrent people with thier onw unque views and beleafes
ps: ima werewolf as well as a furry wolf