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Clad in black and standing out from the crowd, goths are as mysterious as they can get. Why would someone dress like that in public? Where do they get their outfit inspiration? These are just among the wide array of questions that pops up in the mind of every non-goth.
If you are one of those people who have always wondered about them, it is time to get some answers. Learn what they believe in, understand the culture they pledged to, and should you engage them in everyday life or keep your distance.
Following the goth lifestyle means adhering to a certain culture. This includes how to dress and act. While there is no universal code, there is a common practice.
Goth sprung out in the early 70s as goth rock bands came about. The way these bands dressed set the trend for what later came out as the goth culture. It is mostly wearing black, from the outfit to the makeup.
However, any type of black clothes doesn’t immediately mean following the goth culture. The inspiration for goth fashion is the Victorian mourning cult. What this means is that it is a fashion that has a sense of formality, similar to going to a funeral. Men wearing black suits whereas women are clad in ruffle dresses.
In public, don’t expect goths to be any different from any person. Just like anyone, they are still people who have necessities and go out to socialize with their friends. However, do expect that a majority of the individuals who get into the gothic lifestyle are introverts. They may find it difficult to socialize with new people and use their gothic persona to justify being dismissive. To say the least, they mostly follow a culture of keeping to themselves.
This is where things get a little bit more complicated. The stereotype is that goths worship Satan, demons, and everything that is dark. While it is partly right, it is not entirely true.
Generally, people get into the gothic lifestyle due to different reasons. Each person has a different motivation. It is important to understand what being goth is all about in order to know why some feel that it is the right culture and lifestyle for them.
Goth has developed into a lifestyle of being mysteriously different. It is about finding beauty in what is considered dark. Different people interpret this vague description in their own terms. As a result, it is true that there are personalities that worship Satan and demons that get into the culture.
On the other hand, creative and artistic people who have a preference on darker themes also get into the culture. It doesn’t necessarily mean that all of them worship a certain demonic entity. As a matter of fact, there are goths that are Christians by faith.
As each goth is different, there is no single answer to the question of what they do. However, since the culture is about finding beauty in mysteriously dark and macabre themes, there are some common practices.
A huge portion of the gothic population are artists and creatives. It is to be expected since the culture perpetuates the idea of creative expression, as shown by their appearance. So, most of them enjoy creating dark-themed art.
However, some go deeper into their fondness of darkness and the macabre. They spend time in cemeteries and study dark literature as well as the occult. So, expect that a goth has a strong grasp of death and the supernatural.
You now know what the gothic culture generally loves to do, but as a consequence of their belief, there are also things they do not like. As you’ve observed, goths tend to stir away from the ordinary. That’s because it is a culture of rebellion. The most observable trait is the hatred towards conventional fashion.
Among other things goths generally hate are popular fashion, mass media, and some would even consider hating the mall. All of these are reminiscent of going along the general lifestyle which goths try to go against.
While you may be able to identify when a person is a goth or not solely by their fashion, their belief system is not all that uniform. The gothic culture is not a religion that has a book of rules that standardizes everything. Instead, it is about finding joy in the dark and macabre as well as a lifestyle of going against the norm. Each person has their own personal take on these and get into the gothic culture based on their interpretation.
