I’ve seen otherkin and therians say that just the idea of physical shifting is bad, because when someone fails to do it they will develop a complex and be upset because they can’t physically transform. They’ll be upset and disappointed, and feel bad around other shifters. 

 

The thing is, there’s nothing wrong with being human, and nothing wrong with not being a shifter. I mean that wholeheartedly, and in fact there’s nothing wrong with not being able to do what others can. I cannot cameo shift, aura shift, etc. but that does not make the idea of therianthropy bad by any means. I cannot sprint as fast as some people, I will never be a good gymnast or an Olympic wrestler (even though I want to be those things!) and that’s okay. This doesn’t make those things bad, it just makes my situation different. And hey, I can find people who feel the same and maybe we can find our own ways to live out our dreams.

​

If someone is bullying you because you can’t do the same things they can or because you’re human, that’s wrong and they should be told off for it. But not being able to do those things, only being human, isn’t inherently bad. 

​

I do feel that if someone has species dysphoria that is causing them to turn to shifting and even pushing them towards borderline harming themselves or others to transform, at that point you are dealing with a mental disorder that needs treatment. Shifting is not something a person decides to do one day for fun or even due to dysphoria, it’s something that happens to you, something that you’re born with. If you’re chasing after shifters and believing everyone you meet (because even then not all shifters are legitimate or disseminate proper info) just because you desperately want to become an animal, then like any other condition you need to find appropriate help and/or healthy outlets for it. 

(And I’m not saying the above to be condescending or pathologizing either, but if you’re literally ending up in dangerous situations because you need to change your form you do need help. Therianthropy and otherkinity is an identity and can come with no dysphoria or varying amounts, but like anything else, harmful and endangering behavior stemming from dysphoria shouldn’t be entertained.)

​

In short, if you enter the shifter community and hope to shift, only to find that you’re only human, that is okay. If you discover you’re not human but something else, that is okay. There are plenty of mixed supernatural spaces, spaces that allow humans and welcome them, spaces that don’t care what species you are as long as you’re honest. Being human isn’t a bad thing, and not being able to shift isn’t a bad thing. Be who you are :)