While I like a lot of the art, I don't know that "furry characters" do anything for me in the sexual sense. So I'm going to ask...what does being a furry mean?

indigohowl said:
While I like a lot of the art, I don't know that "furry characters" do anything for me in the sexual sense. So I'm going to ask...what does being a furry mean?

just enjoying furry artwork, even in a sfw can mean being a furry! you dont have to like them sexually at all, just enjoying them is enough!

It varies according to person. For all, there's a shared interest in nonhumans (typically animals) who have been anthropomorphosized in some way, but that may not be enough of an association for a number of people. For some people, it means going whole hog and dressing up in fursuits, commissioning pictures of their fursona, and going to furry conventions, all with NSFW being optional. Others think it must be erotic or pornographic in nature and embrace or reject the term based solely on that. Some aren't bothered by the NSFW side of the fandom, recognize that furry can include toony and SFW stuff, but reject the term itself for being too cutesy.

What "furry" means to you and whether you care enough to accept or reject the term depends on your unique worldview and isn't necessarily any more objectively right or wrong than anyone else's.

indigohowl said:
While I like a lot of the art, I don't know that "furry characters" do anything for me in the sexual sense. So I'm going to ask...what does being a furry mean?

Whatever you want it to mean. But generally speaking, it's related to people who like furry art, like to represent themselves as "furry" characters in some capacity, and like to interact with other people who consider themselves furries. "Furry" is kind of a culture that embraces weirdness and often distances itself away from heteronormativity, being closely tied with neurodiversity and LGBT. Straight neurotypical folks are still welcome, of course, lol.

For me being a furry is almost entirely sexual icel, i just like humanoid non-humans (eg xeno/teratophilia) and this is the best and highest quality stuff out there

I am trying to make sense of the whole thing: I've RPed anthropomorphic characters before...yes, both sfw and not (once).

It's like the difference between cat-girls (human girls with cat ear and cat tail) and catgirls (anthropomorphic felines). At what point does one become the other....and is one "okay" and one "not" (culturally speaking)? So yeah....I'm trying to figure out to what degree the idea of "furry" applies to me....

I think it ultimately comes down to whether or not you identify yourself as a furry. Furries are such a diverse group that there's no "one size fits all" definition

indigohowl said:
I am trying to make sense of the whole thing: I've RPed anthropomorphic characters before...yes, both sfw and not (once).

It's like the difference between cat-girls (human girls with cat ear and cat tail) and catgirls (anthropomorphic felines). At what point does one become the other....and is one "okay" and one "not" (culturally speaking)? So yeah....I'm trying to figure out to what degree the idea of "furry" applies to me....

I mean, that's far more than I've ever done and I've never had a problem calling myself a furry.

there are probably some baselines someone'd need to need before I think they'd qualify for the privilege of calling themselves a furry. but the requirements are all really low and you don't even need to cross every one off.

dba_afish said:

there are probably some baselines someone'd need to need before I think they'd qualify for the privilege of calling themselves a furry. but the requirements are all really low and you don't even need to cross every one off.

Huh what baselines are they? Do you think everyone in this thread has met that baseline?

snpthecat said:
Huh what baselines are they? Do you think everyone in this thread has met that baseline?

Know what "yiff", "vore", and "murrsuit" mean. Once you can define all of these terms, you can get your degree in furryology. I keep my diploma on my refrigerator.

snpthecat said:
Huh what baselines are they? Do you think everyone in this thread has met that baseline?

I dunno for sure, I hadn't really thought about it until this thread. it might be a sort of know-it-when-I-see-it type deal. it's sort of the "could someone be a 'gamer' if they've only played solitaire on their phones" thing, there's a line to be crossed somewhere, but I'm not sure exactly where it is.

snpthecat said:
Do you think everyone in this thread has met that baseline?

almost certainly. if you're discussing the nature of being a furry on a furry website, you probably qualify. honestly, if you're genuinely asking yourself if you're "furry enough", you qualify.

that is just qualifying though, I still think that it's the kind of lable you choose to apply to yourself, though.

dba_afish said:
I dunno for sure, I hadn't really thought about it until this thread. it might be a sort of know-it-when-I-see-it type deal. it's sort of the "could someone be a 'gamer' if they've only played solitaire on their phones" thing, there's a line to be crossed somewhere, but I'm not sure exactly where it is.

Yeah, my brain doesn't like vague definitions and generally keeps poking at a topic until I either get an answer that makes sense or I figure that's not going to happen. Which happens to be why I posted the topic in the first place....

indigohowl said:
Yeah, my brain doesn't like vague definitions and generally keeps poking at a topic until I either get an answer that makes sense or I figure that's not going to happen. Which happens to be why I posted the topic in the first place....

I think the more you think about it, the more possibilities you can come up with. Most people pick an aspect of the furry community and make that their focal point, be it fursuiting, making art, making music, or just commenting on the community as a whole. You can pick and chose what aspects you want to interact with.

Though, I think you're looking for a deeper, more spiritual reason for why people get into furry. I think that deep down, we secretly long for a more primitive lifestyle, and that modern society is beginning to wear on us. Humanity has invoked animal spirits from the dawn of time, maybe the furry community is just our way of reconnecting with that ancient tradition. If that sounds right to you, than in addition to furry, look into the therian community, which is more about feeling a connection to an animal spirit.

Having an invested interest in anthropomorphic animal characters

leomon86 said:
I think the more you think about it, the more possibilities you can come up with. Most people pick an aspect of the furry community and make that their focal point, be it fursuiting, making art, making music, or just commenting on the community as a whole. You can pick and chose what aspects you want to interact with.

Though, I think you're looking for a deeper, more spiritual reason for why people get into furry. I think that deep down, we secretly long for a more primitive lifestyle, and that modern society is beginning to wear on us. Humanity has invoked animal spirits from the dawn of time, maybe the furry community is just our way of reconnecting with that ancient tradition. If that sounds right to you, than in addition to furry, look into the therian community, which is more about feeling a connection to an animal spirit.

My impression has to do with that furry might have some sort of meaning that relates to freedom...perhaps how people like to be elves or twi'leks or whatever.

indigohowl said:
While I like a lot of the art, I don't know that "furry characters" do anything for me in the sexual sense. So I'm going to ask...what does being a furry mean?

Being furry means that you really like anthro animals.

I've always viewed furries as "has a particularly large degree of interest in anthros." That's why I don't consider myself one. I like furries. But not any more than I like fantasy, environmental, anime or any other kind of art.