I'd like to chip in
my findings & opinions on this Kinnie Influx Situation.
(2019-08-04 5:00)Darkshifter2 Wrote: [ -> ]there's been an upsurge of fictionkin on Instagram and Tumblr; and by fictionkin I mean people who see an anime character they like or relate to and are like "Wow kin!1!!"
First of all I'd like to make a remark that originally, or mostly, Fictionkin are humans who identify as, or have experiences of, fictional characters or species. For the largest part, Fictionkin would say that relating to a character does not make one a fictionkin (especially as this is what the character is designed for). Lately a new term seems to be used for this within the fictionkin community. Being 'Flicker'. It's not a true identity or lifelong/life-changing experience. But something temporary or just relating. (or Kith gets used too for the last part)
In other words: "Fictionkin are not Kinnies, and Kinnies are not Fictionkin".
Most fictionkin I've talked to say that while the biggest amount of Kinnies are Also Fictionkin, or hide in that community due it's atmosphere, the experiences & 'kind of people' are just too different to be used as an interchangeable term.
I'd say that at this point, the Kinnie Community grew so big & different, that it became a thing of its own.
I've made a video sharing the nowedays most agreed on or used opinions & defenitions on 'Kinnie', ofcourse a large part talks about the 'chosing an identity' and 'roleplaying as it' etc. It's one of my most disliked videos, because I pissed off a whole community. Even if I did not ridicule them, or did not exclude less disliked uses of the term such as for legit identity/experiences (even if it's a minority)
Several Kinnies came to defend themselves. One explained 'Kinnie', in this way:
Quote:quote:
Among fictionkin, the words kinnie/kinning/kin can mean any one or more of the following:
- i somewhat relate to this character
- i relate heavily to this character
- i feel like this character
- i share an incredibly close personality to this character
- i share a numerous amount of incredibly similar experiences to this character
- i feel like i am a reincarnated version of this character
- i feel like i have memories of being this character
- i am a fictive (DID/OSDD term) and i still identify as or with my source character(s)
- i am a fictive and i find it's easier for others to understand me when i call myself fictionkin
according to the one comment on my video, kinnie is not a set term. Even less, and more disagred/confusing than 'Therian' (which, as Dustwolf had as point, also happens here. From connection to past life to soul, to experiences, to feeling, to identity)
Kinnie includes more than 7 very different experiences.
Other than 'Therian', which is also still very individual and unclear ofcourse, I feel 'Kinnie' goes even further from A to Z. From 'Identity' to 'I just find it easier to call myself this way', from 'connection' to 'I just like to pretend to be him for a day' (pretending to be, chosing to identify as, roleplaying as, are other explainations of Kinnie. Mostly on Instagram & Tumblr)
I, and many other therians and otherkin, would disagree that at max only 4 of these even come close to a fictionkin, otherkin or therian experience (being: sharing personality, sharing simular experiences, reincarnations and memories. Even if the last two would be perceived as simple reincarnation and nothing more by the majority unless if experience or identity is attached to it)
To me, this sounds like:
Quote:Among Kinnies, the words kinnie/kinning/kin can mean any one or more of the following:
- I feel what this character has been designed for
- I relate more than average, but still as designed for it
- experiences = possible therian/otherkin
- simular personality = possible therian/otherkin??
- characters are Designed to share simularities to the widest branch of audience
- reincarnation
- reincarnation, spirituality
- i have DID
- Copinglinking??
To me, most explainations Kinnies ever gave me. Were experiences that we'd already 'classify' with roleplaying, Larping, Cosplay, Furry, Copinglinking, Connections/Kith, .. (and usually not therian/otherkin). Classify with already existing communities with existing terminology and places.
And therefore I believe, Kinnies are 'those who fall out of the boat, but are crawling back into it.'
Another Quote form a kinnie-defending comment on my video:
Quote:Kinnies come in a WIDE variety of experiences, ranging from 'I think this is fun and I like to be a part of this community while strongly relating myself to fictional characters' to 'I am mentally Ill and this is a way for me to cope with that, sometimes voluntarily and sometimes involuntarily' to 'I consider myself to be spiritually and/or metaphysically this character and in some cases have memories of a past life as them.' These are generally refereed to as 'for fun' kinnies, coping kinnies, and spiritual kinnies
This, to me, sounds like: roleplayer/kid, Copinglinker, Spiritual Fictionkin. I don't understand, still, why it needs a new own term.
Most are besides that also children, and will just move on when they lose interest.
That's why I personally do not personally attack kinnies.
Besides that, it's not up to me to one-on-one try to 'convert' people or convince them of what is and what isn't their experience. I only speak as a representative of the majority of the community. I litterally repeat words of others. (in this specific post, I however mixed some of my own opinions as I'm here as myself. Not as youtuber)
We barely agree on what 'therian' means. So we cannot exactly gatekeep truely against kinnies, convert, fully exclude or dictate. I do feel we can however mak conclusions on when it's obvious one is just a kid trying to fit in. But that doesn't either give us the right to be an asshole and bite their butt. At the end, they'll leave on their own.
But I do, eitherway, heavily believe that 'Kinnies' are their own thing, linked or related to Otherkin & Fictionkin. I don't mean to say their experiences are fully made up. But they're different, and perhaps should have their own terminology instead of lending and stealing otherkin/fictionkin terminology. Which is highly confusing and counterproductive to the use of terminology. EX: last I saw a sentence on instagram saying 'I'm a kinnie. I'm a a valid Fictionkin. I can cope with my character all I wish, copinglink kinnies are not worth any less. I'm just an otherkin like all of you'. This, to me is just a big mix of 4 VERY different concepts (Kinnie, Fictionkin, Copinglink, Otherkin). All terms used as if they're interchangeable to eachother.
Last but not least, I don't expect everyone to agree with what I wrote here. This post is largely my personal experiences and view on 'Kinnie' and what to do with it. Be free, as Kinnie or just in general, to reach out to me in PM to explain your experiences or have a talk with me. That I got my opinion and experience, or my view on how to handle it, does not mean I'm ignorant to all else.
My opinions on otherkin, theriomythic and now even 'flicker' changed over the past 2 years. It's very well possible it'll do around Kinnie or Paratype or any other newborn term in the future too.
