Strongbob Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 For years I felt that having an affection for fictional anthropomorphic animals was a curse, but now I’m not so sure. Let’s look at the facts here, on one hand dreaming about your perfect furry partner is a complete waste of time because said partner does not exist so you are using considerable personal and emotional resources in a vain attempt to find your personal vision of happiness in a fictional world. Thus being a furry is a curse and we are all doomed to die with our wishes unfulfilled and a good portion of our lives wasted, or so I used to believe. Recently I’ve developed a different view, maybe being a furry is a blessing because it keeps us out of relationships which could be even worse. I’ve been in a variety of relationships with a variety of people and while they were all enjoyable in their own ways, all of them required a large amount of personal and emotional resources and ultimately did not provide much long-term benefit. When compared to that, having furry fantasies seems like a decent alternative. You may miss out on some of the highs of the good relationship, but you also avoid all of the lows and ultimately may ‘waste’ far less of your time and have more personal freedom to pursue other interests. Sometimes I feel that I’m almost asexual because I don’t find my pursuits sidetracked by a desire to attract a mate. Sure I’m attracted to some people but since they don’t meet some of my desired physical traits, I like to get to know them more as people and not just a potential sexual encounter, which is probably a good thing. Maybe there is some benefit to this affliction after all. So what do you think, is being a furry a curse or a blessing in disguise? Has it made a difference in your life? Do you think you are more successful or happier for being a furry or are we just as miserable as everyone else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astus Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 It's funny, I was thinking about this type of thing recently; being different is a blessing in disguise, it helps you better understand yourself and others 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArielMT Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 6 minutes ago, Strongbob said: Let’s look at the facts here, on one hand dreaming about your perfect furry partner is a complete waste of time because said partner does not exist so you are using considerable personal and emotional resources in a vain attempt to find your personal vision of happiness in a fictional world. Thus being a furry is a curse and we are all doomed to die with our wishes unfulfilled and a good portion of our lives wasted, or so I used to believe. It could be argued that this is a refraction of impossible beauty standards throughout society in general. I stumbled across a recent comic strip that put it in sharp relief: 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saxon Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Being a furry means I hanker after things I could not possibly afford, like fursuits. It also makes it difficult to find common ground with potential sexual partners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strongbob Posted April 3, 2016 Author Share Posted April 3, 2016 5 minutes ago, ArielMT said: It could be argued that this is a refraction of impossible beauty standards throughout society in general. I stumbled across a recent comic strip that put it in sharp relief: Yes, and maybe that's a good thing. If you set your beauty standards completely outside the realm of reality then you begin to free people from them. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saxon Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 1 minute ago, Strongbob said: Yes, and maybe that's a good thing. If you set your beauty standards completely outside the realm of reality then you begin to free people from them. I'm not sure that wishing we were pretty really is such an oppressive burden, to be honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDingo Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 It lets me appreciate this kind of art in ways lots of people don't see it. Also, I can meet new likeminded people 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strongbob Posted April 3, 2016 Author Share Posted April 3, 2016 5 minutes ago, Saxon said: Being a furry means I hanker after things I could not possibly afford, like fursuits. It also makes it difficult to find common ground with potential sexual partners. If I have learned one thing it's that if you pursue happiness through sex you will only find disappointment. Not being controlled by your libido is freedom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strongbob Posted April 3, 2016 Author Share Posted April 3, 2016 9 minutes ago, Saxon said: I'm not sure that wishing we were pretty really is such an oppressive burden, to be honest. I'd rather have people attracted to my soul than my physical attributes. I'm not suggesting that we ignore our looks, but maybe we should be more concerned with how we view ourselves than how others view us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conker Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 It's a hobby that sometimes involves fapping. So it's a curse because you're all gross manchildren with no self respect or shame and God is judging you. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saxon Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 16 minutes ago, Strongbob said: If I have learned one thing it's that if you pursue happiness through sex you will only find disappointment. Not being controlled by your libido is freedom. Lol, sex is by no means my biggest vice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Endless/Nameless Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 A blessing. It makes your life just a bit more interesting. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terminal7 Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Depends on where you come from, mainly because it has the potential to make your life way worse than what it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArielMT Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 10 minutes ago, Terminal7 said: Depends on where you come from, mainly because it has the potential to make your life way worse than what it was. Isn't this true of almost every fandom? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terminal7 Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 1 minute ago, ArielMT said: Isn't this true of almost every fandom? Online? Yes. Irl, nobody really cares (except if you're furry) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundeere Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mapa Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Well, now I spend way too much time browsing furry stuff instead of watching twitch streams, so I'd say it's pretty neutral. But seriously, being a furry isn't an integral part of my identity or anything, so it really doesn't affect my life outside of how I spend my time bumbling around the internet. I guess it would count as a positive, since it's just another thing I enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirRob Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 It's a curse, because saying I'm cursed makes me feel cool and edgy. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyboundTerror Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Too much of anything is a bad thing and this applies to the fandom. I don't see it as a blessing or a curse, but it's definitely had more positive influences in my life than negative. ... I ain't a furry by definition though so I guess I can't say much. p: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onnes Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Furry is fun. I'd say the furry community has greatly expanded the kinds of people I regularly talk to, and compared to other broadly defined communities furries tend to be fairly interesting. It's really a rather nice context for socializing with weird internet people who like art and animals. Were I to take it much more seriously, say as a lifestyle or sexual obsession, then I'd probably see things differently. But fortunately I'm not afflicted by that curse. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewge Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 wat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarthTheWereWolf Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Most definitely a curse. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PastryOfApathy Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 If I'm going to be 100% serious for a change, it's both. Blessing in the sense that I've met some great people (including the love of my life since go fucking figure), got me back into drawing and loads of other shit. On the flipside, furries are fucking awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosha Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 I'd say both. The blesssing is that there's a lot of cool things within the fandom. The curse is that I have to wade through a TON of shit to find it. 44 minutes ago, PastryOfApathy said: If I'm going to be 100% serious for a change SHIT JUST GOT REAL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallium Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 (edited) I like to be edgy and take on the joke that furfagdom is the bane of society. But really, its a silly blessing because I get a lot out of it and enjoy the animal people and the creative community, much as any fandom. your post went totally tangent and more specific than the topic entailed though. Regarding relationships, living out a fantasy life is definitely less of an emotional investment and its obvious why people do it to keep themselves emotionally occupied without being in relationships. Ive seen a lot of people RP pretend to be emotionaly tied or just have characters drawn in cuddly/friendly/sexual situations. Well anyways while on the topic I think 'relationship' in general is a weird term most people specify for romantic partners but really is for any two-person connection, and I think society way overplays the need/desire for romantic relationships when there are other ones too, friendships and the like are just as important. So yeah, furriness is a blessing because you meet like-minded people you connect with and relate to, and its all just as important and even real to physical ones. Edited April 4, 2016 by WolfNightV4X1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallium Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 6 hours ago, Strongbob said: If I have learned one thing it's that if you pursue happiness through sex you will only find disappointment. Not being controlled by your libido is freedom. I agree to an extent. Depends on the person, I guess. Sex can make you happy by doing it, its true, but I dont think sex itself or sex alone is what makes it so I find it very confusing when it seems some people wrap their life around it when there's other things but hey, sexual intimacy is pretty great, you cant blame people for enjoying it when they do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xaende Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Blessing. It makes my life more fun and interesting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spot Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Curse, I'm hornier than ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlynnCoyote Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 It's whatever your imagination wants it to be. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willow Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 I'm leaning more towards blessing because, while I'm sure I'd still find some other way to do this, the fandom has helped me improve my art. or it at least gave me some motivation to do so since there's really no shortage of original content here but it's also a curse because now I have more stuff I want to spend money on and all of the good cons are hours away from me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrGravitas Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Not a lot here I can add that hasn't been said already. I think I lean a bit more towards blessing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revates Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 (edited) Furries are a cursed people sent to earth by god to punish man for his hubris and bring down society as we know it. So defs a curse. Edited April 4, 2016 by Revates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strongbob Posted April 4, 2016 Author Share Posted April 4, 2016 10 hours ago, Sylver said: If you've not heard about it before, I strongly suggest reading about what motivates many famous athletes, actors, (some?) singers. I found that many of them have unrealistic goals (to beat themselves), and in doing so they eventually became the best in their field. I don't see why the same can't be applied to unrealistic standards of beauty. Maybe that's another unexpected benefit to the fandom. The problem with human beauty standards is that people are judged generally on factors for which they have no control. No matter how hard we try, most of us could never be supermodels from birth. By redefining beauty to unrealistic and even non-human standards we level the playing field for everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saxon Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Normal people do not sit around wishing they were interested in furries; it is not desirable and therefore not a blessing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strongbob Posted April 4, 2016 Author Share Posted April 4, 2016 24 minutes ago, Saxon said: Normal people do not sit around wishing they were interested in furries; it is not desirable and therefore not a blessing. That is true, but people do sit around all the time complaining about relationships and spouses. So it may not be specific to the furry fandom, but if any hobby helps keep you from pursuing a destructive and unhealthy relationship then maybe it is ultimately a positive thing. I'm not saying that romantic relationships are bad, but entering into a relationship that is based on infatuation and sex generally doesn't turn out well. If being a furry saves you from that, then maybe it's worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strongbob Posted April 4, 2016 Author Share Posted April 4, 2016 1 minute ago, Strongbob said: That is true, but people do sit around all the time complaining about relationships and spouses. So it may not be specific to the furry fandom, but if any hobby helps keep you from pursuing a destructive and unhealthy relationship then maybe it is ultimately a positive thing. I'm not saying that romantic relationships are bad, but entering into a relationship that is based on infatuation and sex generally doesn't turn out well. If being a furry saves you from that, then maybe it's worth it. Of course the irony here is that if furries really did exist, then I would totally be in a bad relationship based on infatuation and sex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saxon Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 4 minutes ago, Strongbob said: That is true, but people do sit around all the time complaining about relationships and spouses. So it may not be specific to the furry fandom, but if any hobby helps keep you from pursuing a destructive and unhealthy relationship then maybe it is ultimately a positive thing. I'm not saying that romantic relationships are bad, but entering into a relationship that is based on infatuation and sex generally doesn't turn out well. If being a furry saves you from that, then maybe it's worth it. Being a furry doesn't mean you can't have relationships, that relationships can only be with other furries or that, even if they were, guarantee those relationships would be any different to anybody else's. I don't think it's right to view everyone else's romances as fundamentally likely to be 'destructive and unhealthy' anyway, and I'm willing to bet that, if anything, furry relationships are more likely to be based on sexual predilection than normal people's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luca Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Somewhere in between, I've met a lot of cool people but I've seen enough cringe for a lifetime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeke Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Half and half. met a lot of friends and got to do a lot of cool shit. Also met a lot of shitty people that are either energy vampires or make me want to take up a drug habit, or suicide because they are that emotionally abusive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangefox32000 Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 (edited) I think it's a blessing. Sure, I'm a weirdo and I like to dress up like an orange and purple fox, but I've been the happiest as a furry than I have been in a long while as a normal person who likes to collect old toys. Hell, being a furry has helped me realize that I wasn't JUST into women. If that makes me a furfag, then so be it, I'm a furfag, dammit. Edited April 4, 2016 by Strangefox32000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundeere Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clove Darkwave Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 It isn't any of these things, Fandoms are not a sexuality or anything similar. Choosing to call yourself something is self-inflicted. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saxon Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 20 hours ago, Clove Darkwave said: It isn't any of these things, Fandoms are not a sexuality or anything similar. Choosing to call yourself something is self-inflicted. Ehhh Having a furry fetish isn't self-inflicted; people don't decide to have one. It also doesn't go away if you stop calling yourself a furry. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xaende Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 Nice to see around 85% consider it a blessing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#00Buck Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 It is a curse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlastairSnowpaw Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 (edited) Neither it's being part of a fandom doesn't dictate different parts of life the way an actual curse or a blessing would. Edited April 6, 2016 by AlastairSnowpaw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuttButt Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 1 hour ago, AlastairSnowpaw said: Neither it's being part of a fandom and shouldn't really effect all aspects of life. I don't really understand what you mean. Just because it's a fandom or a hobby or whatever doesn't mean that it doesn't affect all aspects of your life. Everything you do ultimately affects everything else you do, unless you live in multiple parallel universes or something. Seems like kind of a silly way to dismiss the topic question. I love being a furry, and I'm not sorry I am one. It brings me a lot of joy and I feel like being a member of the fandom has made me a lot more comfortable with myself as a person. I also have met lots of wonderful people through the fandom, many of whom I consider to be close friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlastairSnowpaw Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 1 minute ago, MuttButt said: I don't really understand what you mean. Just because it's a fandom or a hobby or whatever doesn't mean that it doesn't affect all aspects of your life. Everything you do ultimately affects everything else you do, unless you live in multiple parallel universes or something. Seems like kind of a silly way to dismiss the topic question. I love being a furry, and I'm not sorry I am one. It brings me a lot of joy and I feel like being a member of the fandom has made me a lot more comfortable with myself as a person. I also have met lots of wonderful people through the fandom, many of whom I consider to be close friends. Effect was the wrong word, dictate is a better one. I think for something to be a blessing or a curse it would dictate multiple things in your life and forces you to certain options and/or are allow options to become available that weren't before. The only thing being a furry could maybe dictate is your sexuality. Except it doesn't because furrys have all kinds of sexuality and attractions and kinks, there are even furries who aren't turned on by anthros so it doesn't even go that far. Being furry doesn't limit you to any options in any aspect of your life and it doesn't really open that many opportunities either. A thing I would more akin to a curse would be being a paraplegic. because someone is a paraplegic they can not do certain things and are limited to certain options in many different aspects of their life. A paraplegic has to work their life around this condition because they have no other choice, a furry isn't really dictated towards any options and no furry is forced to work around being a furry really. On the other end something closer to being a blessing would be being born into a super rich family. Because you're born into a super rich family you have way more options open to you than everyone else, like getting a helicopter for your 13th birthday or something. Being furry doesn't really open your life to any options a non-furry wouldn't have, anyone can browse fur affinity or e621. I hope that clarifies why i think "blessing" and "curse" are way too extreme of words to describe being a furry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuttButt Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 1 hour ago, AlastairSnowpaw said: Effect was the wrong word, dictate is a better one. I think for something to be a blessing or a curse it would dictate multiple things in your life and forces you to certain options and/or are allow options to become available that weren't before. The only thing being a furry could maybe dictate is your sexuality. Except it doesn't because furrys have all kinds of sexuality and attractions and kinks, there are even furries who aren't turned on by anthros so it doesn't even go that far. Being furry doesn't limit you to any options in any aspect of your life and it doesn't really open that many opportunities either. A thing I would more akin to a curse would be being a paraplegic. because someone is a paraplegic they can not do certain things and are limited to certain options in many different aspects of their life. A paraplegic has to work their life around this condition because they have no other choice, a furry isn't really dictated towards any options and no furry is forced to work around being a furry really. On the other end something closer to being a blessing would be being born into a super rich family. Because you're born into a super rich family you have way more options open to you than everyone else, like getting a helicopter for your 13th birthday or something. Being furry doesn't really open your life to any options a non-furry wouldn't have, anyone can browse fur affinity or e621. I hope that clarifies why i think "blessing" and "curse" are way too extreme of words to describe being a furry. That's fair enough I suppose, but I think OP's question was pretty much supposed to mean "Do you consider being a furry to be a positive thing or a negative thing in your life? Are you glad you're a furry?", at least that's the way I took it to mean. I don't see any implication there that being a furry is this monumental aspect of life one way or the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feelwell Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 I'd say a blessing, any sort of sort of uniqueness can always be a benefit, it's a fantastic way to learn things not just about the fandom, but things in general. I'd never have gone to any sort of forum if I hadn't joined Phoenixed, and I only joined Phoenixed because I wanted to see what the community was like, and learn more about it. I also find it gives me a bit more creativity with characters, not being limited to humans can be useful in a story, and make it feel less repetitive. The art is nothing short of fantastic, and it's made me want to get into drawing, which is something for my whole life I had written off. It is by no means a lifestyle, at least to me, just a part of me, like writing, or learning to code. Finally, it may even allow people to be more accepting of other races, because if you can accept a cat dude, there's no reason you can't accept someone who's slightly paler or darker in skin tone. Oh, and it's better than going into politics. So definitely a blessing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.