I got an e-mail today from a friend who looked up “lifestyler” online. ok, this seems A LITTLE WEIRD. i mean, the guy said he was a lifestyler, but not a FURRY lifestyler.
he had no tail. none that i could see, anyway.
weird. surely this isn’t what he meant? is it?
Furry lifestyler
A furry lifestyler is generally considered to be a person who has one or more of these characteristics:
* Integrating a perceived animal nature into one’s persona (gait, use of voice, personality, instincts, etc.)
* Totemistic beliefs, specifically with regard to animal spirits
* A belief that animal instincts exist within humans, regardless of whether they are separate, immaterial spirits, part of the genetic code, caused by reincarnation from a previous animal life, or anything else
A furry lifestyler may also take on physical attributes of an animal, although this is rare. Such attributes may be: hair style (including facial hair), tattoos, articles of clothing (e.g. a tail or ears), or jewelry. In a few extreme cases, some wealthy lifestylers have used elective surgery to affect a physical transformation.
Furry lifestylers generally refer to themselves as furries or furs, although this term is not exclusive to them. Also, some people who might reasonably call themselves furry lifestylers choose not to do so for various reasons, including a desire not to be associated with the term. (For example, a related community, the “were” or “therian” community, shares similar beliefs with the furry lifestylers but wishes to distance themselves from the furry fandom.)
Some furry lifestylers have a general dysmorphia, a strong, deeply rooted feeling that they are not in the right body. A few furries have gone so far as to use the term Species Dysmorphic Disorder, a neologism that puns on body dysmorphic disorder, though the simpler “species dysmorphia” is a slightly more common phrase. These seem to indicate a disassociation with the psychological identity of the public at large.
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i’m going to stick with thinking that this guy was just a PLAIN lifestyler. just a guy who enjoys the style of his life. NOT SOMEBODY WHO THINKS HE SHOULD BE AN ANIMAL.