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This article will cover the common misconceptions of therianthropy as a whole. Due to the lack of knowledge of individuals from both within the therian community and outside the community, debunking the common misconceptions within the community is vital to ensuring that individuals aren't misguided.
Since the dawn of the online therian community, there have been many confusions and misunderstandings, including several Internet memes such as the "on all levels except physical, I am a wolf" meme developed from Naia Ōkami in an otherkin pseudo-documentary. Most of these were created by unsure or genuinely curious individuals, gatekeepers in and out of the community, or even trolls and anti-therians making claims that seem to work their way into the community.
Misconceptions[]
"Therianthropy can only form at birth"[]
Even though most therianthropes develop their therianthropic identity, mindsets and behaviours at birth, therianthropy can also be involuntarily developed throughout childhood. Some of the reasons someone may involuntarily become a therian are imprinting during early childhood, or as an involuntary coping mechanism for trauma (not to be confused with copinglink, a non-therian identity where someone chooses to identify as an animal as a coping mechanism).
"Therianthropes and furries are the same thing"[]
The definition of therianthrope is the following:
"...someone who involuntarily identifies as a non-human animalistic creature."
The definition of furry is the following:
"...a person with an interest in anthropomorphic animals... which possesses human looks and capabilities... ."
By the above definitions, we can conclude that therianthropy is an involuntary identity where one identifies as a non-human animalistic creature. And that being a furry is a choice/voluntary, a hobby/interest, and involves human-like or anthropomorphic personas. Though neither labels overlap, some individuals can still be a furry and a therian at the same time.
"Therianthropes act like animals constantly"[]
This misconception claims that therianthropes will bark or hiss at people in public. However, most therians keep their identities private and are able to keep their animalistic behaviours under control while in public. And while some therians will wear gear, do vocals or quadrobics in public, this is very uncommon to see. And certainly not all therians partake in these activities, with some therians also not preferring to express themselves through quadrobics, vocals, gear, etc.
"Therianthropy is only spiritual"[]
Though this misconception can be claimed to be true due to the rise of "TikTok therians" and the large amount of content surrounding the experiences of spiritual therians on social media, this can be disproven by easily. A very large amount of the community relates their personal therianthropy, and how it formed, with the psychological definition and aspect.
"Therians are still normal humans, despite their identity"[]
Nope, being a therian means that you're not fully human. The whole definition of the identity states that a therianthrope "identifies as a non-human creature". The whole point of the identity is that therians are not 'normal people', however, they are still functionally human. And if a therian was to identify as a 'regular human', it would be the same as a transgender man saying, "I am a trans man, but I still identify as a woman" (It is important to note that the comparison is used only for an easier understanding; therians are not part of the LGBTQ+ community). Many therians only identify as their theriotype in a non-physical way, however, that still means that they are not 'normal humans'. And holotheres/physical therians, who physically identify as their theriotype, are fundamentally even less human than non-physical therianthropes.