Goths= Nicer People?

Considering that the 21st of December is just around the corner and some major issues are happening in the world right now but what's wrong with something different? Besides those threads have been done to death and if the 21st is big I would prefer to get this thought into a thread before it's too late.

So anyway (And I could be dead wrong about this) could goths (Or any other sub culture you can think of. If so mention it.) be one of the most noble people around right now?

Let's admit it. Most of the younger generation is depraved (And it seems the older generation is being replaced) and before you go rant mode on me and start claiming that each group and race has good and bad in it that is true. But goths really do seem like to be one of the most approachable groups out there (Apart from the intimidating appearance of course.)

Hey. For all we know the style is a subconscious way to make them more visible to everyone (Infants who displayed an interest in it prior to becoming one especially.)

To better get the idea across tvtropes.org...

But then of course there are the crazier ones but they seem to be few in number.

Thoughts or harsh words to put me in my place?

I am not one of them by the way.

reply to post by Molimo


My experiance with people who embrace the Goth culture is that they just want to be left alone. Nothing more, nothing less. Just let them do their thing.

We have a couple at work. They work just as hard as everybody else.

But everytime I have had a conversation with them concerning their lifestyle (I'm curious...it just may kill me one day) and I ask them why they live the style they do, they almost always reply with...

"I'm not a conformist, I'm different."

To which I reply with, "So you are unique?"

"Yep."

"Just like everybody else...right?" At which point I usually walk away leaving them with.

Hmmmm...interesting idea. I have been part of subcultures since I was a young teen...with "Goth"/Dark being the one that seemed to fit me the best. It even carried into adulthood and while I no longer feel the need for theatrical mascara, 95% of my wardrobe is still funeral black, lol. In my travels I have found fringe folks to be a lot more accepting of differences, They have had to deal with all sorts of shady treatment from the so-called beautiful folks and often try to move in the other direction. That being said though, even among the fringe set there can be a tendency towards cliquishness, a social hierarchy and even arbitrary standards. We used to call it "More hardcore than thou".

Goths = Nicer People? No.
Goths = People? Yes.

Goth is subculture dominated by teenagers with some older people who can't 'let go' - and I say this with a partner in her 40s who is an 'old goth' and wishes it was still 1982-1984 or something. To think everyone who gets into this subculture are somehow similar in personality types is romanticising at best or deluding themselves at worst.

Goth itself isn't standardised and uniform. Modern day goth is bugger all like 1980s goth, either in dress or music. If goth has such a wide spread of genre-identifying elements, then its likely that its going to have a similarly wide spread of people attracted to it because they're more likely to be drawn to different things.

I've met some absolute dickheads who've called themselves goths at one time or another. At the same time, I've known some great goths, my better-half included. I can say the same for punks, psychobillies, skinheads and so on, though.

People are people, no matter what they dress like or what they listen to, and all that entails.

"goth" Hey! That's what a lot of "good ol god fearin' folk" round these parts like to call me... they think it means "devil worshiper."

First what kind of "goths" are you talking about? The people who wear Tripp clothes? I love those pants/shorts, they look cool, can come with chains, and are some of the most comfortable clothes that I have ever worn ( without all of those chains on them of course.) Wish they still made that brand of clothes. I don't think of those people, many who dress similar to me, as "goth" though. But yeah... we're pretty nice people for the most part. Til you do sumthin to piss us off anyway. Well some of us are. Some of us are total jerks like any other group of people.

You're not talking about those damn "Twilight" kids who like to think of themselves as "goth" these days are ya? I hate those morons!

I think that the "strange" or "different" people are some of the most interesting people of this world and are usually just about the only people who are willing to give me the time of the day. They've always been the nicest to me. Even "nerds," a group that I should belong to, usually aren't very willing to be accepting of me.

What do you think of Juggalos? Some people call me that because I really like the music and have listened to it since the 90s... I find that many of them, while usually not very intelligent, are much more willing to accept me than most other members

I once had this really redneck friend, he was a black dude. I normally don't like rednecks very much because most of them around here are bible thumping bigots who refuse intelligence.

I don't know... We put too much into classifications like that.

People are people. End of the day bottom line!

Originally posted by TDawgRex
reply to post by Molimo

 

My experiance with people who embrace the Goth culture is that they just want to be left alone. Nothing more, nothing less. Just let them do their thing.

My experience, people are people. I have a lot of different types of friends ... sometimes it seems like persons who aren't punk or something are 'meaner' but that's generally because if someone finds me odd looking and says something or wants to stare ... 9 times out of 10 they're a 'normal' person.

Statistically speaking though, there are piles more 'normals' around than alternative culture people and alternative people don't really find others odd looking in the first place. There is distrust of 'normal' people though initially.

Not saying some people don't dress to scare children or look keep people away from them but there is lots of factors. Age is a hooj one.

(I'm curious...it just may kill me one day) and I ask them why they live the style they do

I had surgery last year because of persons asking questions like this and expecting an in depth answer. I had to have my palm removed from my face. Doctor said it was pretty severe.

"I'm not a conformist, I'm different."

To which I reply with, "So you are unique?"

"Yep."

"Just like everybody else...right?" At which point I usually walk away leaving them with.

From a purely style perspective they are counter culture or defining themselves by dressing differently from you and your tribe.

If they want to define themselves visually by being different because they're young, or because they hate the system, or simply to identify others with similar stances ... so what? I'm sure you would find it obnoxious if I laughed at yourself (dunno what you look like just making stuff up) for being a clear skin that was afraid of ink needles, or implying you wear a cardigen because your partner won't let you get a piercing.

Sometimes I feel it's almost a common curtesy to everyone who complains about it, too. Example, it's probably easier to find another lesbian in a club with styled hair and a rainbow patch than it is to scream, 'excuse me, have you seen anyone who is kind of gay around here?!' It also conveniently keeps the overly moral away

That said, I dress how I do cos I like looking awesome.

Sorry if I come across as rude. It is nothing personal, I just find that a rude question.

In a metaphysical / spiritual context, I read somewhere that the Goths are here to absorb pain from us, to alleviate. So in essense (if true) they are souls making sacrifices on our behalf.

Thought that was an interesting perspective.

reply to post by Molimo

So anyway (And I could be dead wrong about this) could goths (Or any other sub culture you can think of. If so mention it.) be one of the most noble people around right now?

i see them as more spiritually minded and not interested in material gadets and money.

Their style of music is also relaxing no matter how 'depressing' society makes it sound.

Originally posted by capod2t
In a metaphysical / spiritual context, I read somewhere that the Goths are here to absorb pain from us, to alleviate. So in essense (if true) they are souls making sacrifices on our behalf.

Thought that was an interesting perspective.

No offence, but this doesn't make any sense at all. This ties into to some weird, latter-day stereotype about goths, anguish, misery, self-harming and blah, blah, blah. It also suggests that some weird predetermined selection process is occurring where people become goths for some bizarre cosmic reason instead of the more likely reasons of personal taste, peer pressure, availability and so on: the same kind of reasons everyone gets into everything.

It would also suggest that unless all subculture types had a role in this in spiritual master-plan then, weirdly, they are 'special' above all other subcultures. And considering the range of people that become goths (nice people, idiots, thieves, and so on) it seems a flawed plan.

Labeling various groups with words like "nice" and "not nice" is foolish. There can be a**holes and nice people in any group. Blanket statements are stupid.

reply to post by Merriman Weir

No offence, but this doesn't make any sense at all.

Thanks for your unsolicited judgmental condescension.

A Goth would have to tell a blind person that they are indeed a Goth.

Originally posted by capod2t
reply to post by Merriman Weir

 

No offence, but this doesn't make any sense at all.

Thanks for your unsolicited judgmental condescension.

No problem. Drive safely!

Here I am prepared for a long winded debate about the fall of the Roman Empire, and the emergence of Medieval Europe.....

My mistake, wrong Goths!

reply to post by Molimo


This is silly.... to generalize an entire group even if it is to paint them in a positive light is fallacious thinking. I used to be a part of the "goth" subculture, and there were all kinds of personalities around me. If you insist on generalizing and labeling people it then becomes a question of what type of goth is a nicer goth. Are the Romantigoths nicer, or perhaps the corporate goths or the rivetheads? Point is, is there a point to this thread?

reply to post by Molimo


It's been my experience that a subculture still reflects much of the attitudes of the macro-culture around it. In FL many of the attractive goth women are still as shallow and insipid as their mainstream counterparts. They still value the same garbage (money, power, etc.) and look down on guys they consider less attractive or less desirable. And it seems that no matter where I go, the less attractive and heavier-set women tend to be more approachable, pleasant, open-minded, and genuinely kind (although there are some pretty angry feminist types who have been spurned by guys).
Guys, in my experience, come in two varieties and both are based on an assumed hierarchy of superiority. The nerdy, scrawny, and overweight use their intellects to assert their superiority while the more muscular simply bully others. I have yet to find a group where I live now, and where I have lived in other parts of the U.S., that doesn't generally wedge itself into these broad stereotypes. And yes there are always exceptions to the "rule".

I believe that there is an unwritten rule, no matter where you are, a rule of staying within your "league" when it comes to pairing up or developing friendships. There will always be a number of people who think they are better than their peers (Guys will see certain other guys are inferior and therefore contemptible, and women will see some guys as "not in their league" or also inferior and will not chance a relationship). I think it's biological more than psychological - survival of the fittest kind of stuff.

I have a nasty habit of approaching a new group of people by taking them at face value and automatically expecting the best of them. I get burned using that approach more often than not. And yes I'm writing this from a man's point of view since I'm a guy and that's the perspective I know best.

Why would someones taste in music and asthetics make them overall nicer people?. We are all individuals (Go ahead and laugh) personality wise. While one person may become tolerant to others and turn a blind eye to other peoples derision over the years another may become angry. We have all have opinions, can be cliquey/bitchy but that's nothing out of the ordinary for the human species. We are everywhere whether we choose to display it outwardly or not. Teachers, doctors, nurses, lawyers - in every walk of life down to the lowly *tugs forelock* housewife. The most Goth of us, the uber goth would even claim not to be a Goth at all...

We like what we like and would just prefer to be left to like it in peace. I'm sure we would all like for others to be able to live that way too, just getting on and finding whatever happiness they may within this fleeting, decaying, brief window of mortality. Is that a Goth thing or just a decent human being thing? I'd go with the latter.

I'm too old now to care if people think I'm a satanist/out to shock/ refuse to grow up/cut myself/think of murdering little old ladies/loner or any other ridiculous claptrap their feeble mind can conjure up. Call me Goth or not, don't rightly care much, I'm just me...

Oh thanks for moving the thread Alien. I thought it was too late.

reply to post by Anundeniabletruth


The kind of Goths who call it a "Bohemian lifestyle".

reply to post by capod2t


Makes sense actually. No wonder a lot of them are so creative.