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> "Then you end up with the strangest of all joiner group identities, the ones made up of "individuals" who strive obsessively to be "individuals" just exactly
by SyneRyder 12y ago
> "Then you end up with the strangest of all joiner group identities, the ones made up of "individuals" who strive obsessively to be "individuals" just exactly like all the rest of their clique-mates.
I think you just described the goth scene perfectly :) Though at least some of the goths are hyper aware of it & treat their "I'm like so different" goth uniform as a joke.
On a related note, going to a goth nightclub regularly is one of the best things I ever did. Being around people who are all similarly socially anxious & tending towards introvert/recluse (and with a shared interest in metal / synthpop) helped us all to become dramatically more social creatures.
- Retric 12y agoMost of that is just culture blindness. Saying all Goth’s look alike is basically saying that all opera’s sound alike. Objectively clowns costumes have a lot more verity than suits. However, for someone that knows suits they can be rather expressive. That same person might group a clown as 'other' and not bother to parse it past, wig, face paint, and bright clothing.
- antihero 12y agoWeirdly, as an extrovert who had serious social anxiety as a teen, I find that hanging out with people who are still socially awkward and introverted brings me right back to the anxiety I conquered years ago. I think the key factor now is that as an extrovert I give out a lot of social energy and so when I don't receive it back in turn I think I've fucked up or aren't entertaining people and thus it makes me briefly quite self conscious.
- girvo 12y agoInteresting, you've described myself to a tee there. I think your hypothesis is sound, too, as that's what I've always sort of assumed.