Why do we separate ourselves so entirely?
by Seraphyna*Before I begin, I'd just like to say that this isn't an attack on anyone, or even really a response to this specific forum, simply my reaction to reading the topics and responses I've come across on many otherkin forums. It is also not intended to tell people what to believe or how to view themselves. Please take that into consideration.*
On many otherkin forums, I notice that people seem to think that they are not human, are somehow better than other humans, or have some kind of higher knowledge than other humans. First off...we might have non-human souls/energies/what-have-you, but in this life we are human. Our genes tell us we are human. We speak human languages, we eat human foods, we love other humans, we take part in human societies. Thus, for all intents and purposes, we are human.
Being otherkin does not give us some kind of divine knowledge, higher worth, etc. So other people bother you? Well how do you know they too aren't otherkin? How do we know for sure that we're not all suffering from the same mental disorder and are all loonies? Long story short, we don't. We, as otherkin, do not have "powers" or "abilities" that non-kin do not. Past life memories may give us insights that others don't have, but that goes for kin and non-kin alike.
Now, people annoy me just as much as the next girl, but it isn't because they're non-kin. Plenty of otherkin annoy me just as much, if not more. I think the otherkin community often gets a bad rap because we come across as finding ourselves to be superior...well, folks we aren't. We suffer the same diseases, heartbreaks, let-downs, losses, etc. as every other human on the planet.
What does being otherkin get us? Maybe some insights, knowledge, ridicule, stereotyping, you get the idea and have probably witnessed the down-sides first hand at some point (if not, you will). But who's to say that non-kin don't also have something to offer? They too have knowledge, insights, abilities, etc. There's nothing an otherkin can do that a non-kin cannot do or learn to do...and I am a firm believer in this.
In this life, we are human for a reason. We are here perhaps to learn, grow, influence, a few are probably here as punishment, but that too is cause to learn. I hope it is realized that when otherkin sit back and complain about "humans" and not "other humans" that they are missing the point of this incarnation entirely. As I've already said, there's no way for us to know that these "humans" we complain about aren't otherkin. I mean, if you ask them before you type about them, do correct me...but I know I've complained about "humans" before reaching these conclusions...I've been just as guilty...having no idea if "humans (aka non-kin)" is truly what they were.
The bottom line in this book-sized post is this: I think the otherkin community as a whole needs to take a step back and realize their humanity, for humanity has a lot to teach us all. Humans, as a species, are very versatile. If we all spent less time complaining about "being stuck here in human bodies" and more time trying to understand and learn from our humanity, the otherkin community as a whole would be a much happier place.
If you've read this whole thing and thus made it this far, thanks for reading. Again, I tried my very best to type this out diplomatically and non-offensively, so please, if this post made you mad, take a deep breath, go for a walk, calm down, and then really read this over again.
~Sera