2019-08-28, 3:00
Hello! I’m going to give advice to younger or newer therians to the therian community. No matter who we are, or what we identify as, we were all new to therianthropy once!
So, to start off, please realize, that even if you’re young or new to the community, you matter just as much as anyone else. Yeah, a lot of older and more experienced therians will poke fun of younger therians, but usually it’s all in good fun. The therian community is actually a very nice place, and a lot of people in it are super kind (especially those on this forum). You’re going to be the next leaders to help new therians get settled one day, I promise it.
Now, for the thing I know people don’t want to hear. Not everyone is a therian. Chances are, if you’re reading this, then you’re probably in the questioning phase. You may not know whether or not you’re a therian, or what your kin may be. There’s a line between wanting to be a therian, and actually being a therian. Being a therian usually means you have a connection with a certain animal. And when I say this, I don’t mean, “oh, I like wolves, and wolves like me.” No. This connection is a type of connection where you see an animal, and know deep inside, that you are the same as that animal, even though you have a human appearance.
Speaking of human appearances, no matter what you are, or who you are, you’re still a human. You’re physically a human, and nothing can change that. Yes, I mean that you can’t physically shift. When I say this, I don’t mean that physical shifting doesn’t sound cool, no, it’s sounds amazing, but you have to realize that no matter how hard you may try, you’ll never physically change. Though Here’s some advice. Sometimes just trying to get down on all fours (if your kin has all fours), and walking around as such can help.
Next topic: shifting. Shifting is usually an important part of being a therian for most. Though there are those who may not be good at shifting, and if you’re one of those, that’s okay! If you know deep down that you’re a therian, then you’re a therian. The number of times you’ve shifted, or throw easy it is for you to shift, is not a determining factor of being a therian.
Gear. Okay, listen up, You don’t need gear to be a therian. Tails, shirts, collars, etc., are just accessories that can show off your therian pride. You don’t need them to be a therian. Though if you have them, that’s awesome! Cool for you. Also, recognize the appropriateness of wearing therian gear. Sometimes your school may not allow collars or tails, or your job may not allow it. Though, not all gear has to be worn during certain occasions. I know the therian guide shirts they have on the forums can be worn almost anywhere (besides places that require uniforms or fancy clothes), and you can get shirts that don’t even say “therian guide” on them, giving you some discreet, yet cool gear to wear.
And finally: you don’t have to come out as a therian! Nobody has to know. You don’t need to tell your parents. The only reason I’d tell my parents would be if I’m getting severely harassed about it. I know this may not be the best comparison to some, but it works as a good example. Furries. You don’t have to come out as a furry. It’s not a big deal, and unless you have to talk to your parents about an aspect of it, then just don’t tell them. There’s no harm in not telling them, though also, if you do tell them, there’s not much harm that goes into telling them either (though this may differ on your parents and how they work)
Thank you for reading this! Sorry if the pacing is weird or whatever. It’s late and I wanted to write something down on the forums today
So, to start off, please realize, that even if you’re young or new to the community, you matter just as much as anyone else. Yeah, a lot of older and more experienced therians will poke fun of younger therians, but usually it’s all in good fun. The therian community is actually a very nice place, and a lot of people in it are super kind (especially those on this forum). You’re going to be the next leaders to help new therians get settled one day, I promise it.
Now, for the thing I know people don’t want to hear. Not everyone is a therian. Chances are, if you’re reading this, then you’re probably in the questioning phase. You may not know whether or not you’re a therian, or what your kin may be. There’s a line between wanting to be a therian, and actually being a therian. Being a therian usually means you have a connection with a certain animal. And when I say this, I don’t mean, “oh, I like wolves, and wolves like me.” No. This connection is a type of connection where you see an animal, and know deep inside, that you are the same as that animal, even though you have a human appearance.
Speaking of human appearances, no matter what you are, or who you are, you’re still a human. You’re physically a human, and nothing can change that. Yes, I mean that you can’t physically shift. When I say this, I don’t mean that physical shifting doesn’t sound cool, no, it’s sounds amazing, but you have to realize that no matter how hard you may try, you’ll never physically change. Though Here’s some advice. Sometimes just trying to get down on all fours (if your kin has all fours), and walking around as such can help.
Next topic: shifting. Shifting is usually an important part of being a therian for most. Though there are those who may not be good at shifting, and if you’re one of those, that’s okay! If you know deep down that you’re a therian, then you’re a therian. The number of times you’ve shifted, or throw easy it is for you to shift, is not a determining factor of being a therian.
Gear. Okay, listen up, You don’t need gear to be a therian. Tails, shirts, collars, etc., are just accessories that can show off your therian pride. You don’t need them to be a therian. Though if you have them, that’s awesome! Cool for you. Also, recognize the appropriateness of wearing therian gear. Sometimes your school may not allow collars or tails, or your job may not allow it. Though, not all gear has to be worn during certain occasions. I know the therian guide shirts they have on the forums can be worn almost anywhere (besides places that require uniforms or fancy clothes), and you can get shirts that don’t even say “therian guide” on them, giving you some discreet, yet cool gear to wear.
And finally: you don’t have to come out as a therian! Nobody has to know. You don’t need to tell your parents. The only reason I’d tell my parents would be if I’m getting severely harassed about it. I know this may not be the best comparison to some, but it works as a good example. Furries. You don’t have to come out as a furry. It’s not a big deal, and unless you have to talk to your parents about an aspect of it, then just don’t tell them. There’s no harm in not telling them, though also, if you do tell them, there’s not much harm that goes into telling them either (though this may differ on your parents and how they work)
Thank you for reading this! Sorry if the pacing is weird or whatever. It’s late and I wanted to write something down on the forums today
