Sadly Mistakin

For animals who don't know shit about themselves.

[sadlymistakin]

Hey, therian here, your blog is really interesting. Anything you may know about hyenas that I haven't been able to find? I consider hyena because I "laugh" when initiating fights or annoying someone, or when I have something of someone's and I'm keeping it from them. And yes, it does sound extremely similar to a spotted hyena. As well as ph's, ofc

I find spotted hyenas to be fascinating animals. I don’t really feel like looking them up at the moment, and I’m sure you’re capable of doing any research that I could, so for the moment I’ll tell you what I can remember, and what Life of Pi has to say about them:

Hyenas live in packs with a matriarchal structure. The testosterone levels of female hyenas are so high that female hyenas actually have penises, making giving birth a difficult and bloody process. Cracked.com claims a 10% mortality rate for hyenas giving birth.

Spotted hyenas and lions are mortal enemies, frequently stealing prey from each other, getting into fights, and eating each other’s young. This is something that Disney’s Lion King portrayed faithfully.

Hyenas are nocturnal. I’m sure that’s something you knew already, but it’s worth mentioning.

Hyenas are cannibalistic and will eat deceased members of the pack after a day of waiting. 

Hyenas have displayed a willingness to eat pretty much anything. They’ll gnaw prey down to the bone and then gnaw the bones. They’ll eat the grass on which blood has been spilled. They’ll drink water as they’re urinating in it. They’ll accidentally take a chunk of an ear or a nose from a pack member and then go ahead and swallow it. They’ve even been known to attack cars, going for the headlights and side mirrors. 

The sides of a hyena’s flank will inflate visibly as they eat. If they’ve eaten enough, they’ll get so full that they can’t move. 

Finally, when it gets too hot and there is no water available, hyenas will stir up a mud bath with their own urine to cool themselves down. Hey, whatever works. (Don’t try this in real life, FYI. You’ll get a horrible rash.)

[sadlymistakin]

Sirens are a mythological creature hailing from Greece. They are said to lure mariners in with a song so beautiful that the sailors would be unable to resist going straight to them and drowning in the waters surrounding them. Hence, the term “siren song” is used to refer to an appeal that is hard to resist but will lead to a bad conclusion. Perhaps most famously, in Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus was curious to hear the famous song but didn’t want to die, so he took the advice of the sorceress Circe and had his crew tie him to the mast while they wore wax in their own ears. When the ship passed by the siren’s home, the song was so beautiful that he begged the crew to let him go to them, but they of course couldn’t hear. Only when they had passed out of earshot of the island did the crew untie Odysseus.

The exact nature of the sirens and their appearance varies a bit depending on the poet describing them, but one thing they all agree on is that sirens mixed the characteristics of human women and birds, whether as birds with human faces or women with birds legs or any other combination.

Presumably, this connection was made because both birds and sirens were said to have beautiful songs. Even though they lured sailors, sirens never had many aquatic characteristics and were said to live in “a meadow starred with flowers,” which later poets specifically named as either the island of Anthemoessa or a group of three small islands called the Sirenum scopuli. Sirens always dwelled on land and never actually went into the water.

Some legends claim that if a human hears the siren’s song and does not perish, the siren is fated to die. Gaias Julius Hyginus, a Latin author, later claimed that after Odysseus escaped them, the sirens threw themselves into the water and drowned. 

[sadlymistakin]

Honestly, it seems to vary from person to person whether alters help or hinder them in their life. I know a few people on this site who are part of systems, and they are quite comfortable living in a shared body. :>

Well, the thing is, clinically, DID patients usually don’t share memories between alters. And considering that the average number of alters is ten, that seems like it would seriously inhibit daily life.

Honestly. DID in general is a hugely controversial disease because it is diagnosed the most in North America (in other words, a continent with a high prevalent of “multiple personalities” depictions in its popular culture), is way more common in women than men, the average number of alters as gone up in the past few decades, and it usually occurs in individuals who also have other mental disorders. I remember reading that there’s a huge amount of controversy as to whether DID is actually a separate disorder at all or if it’s just a byproduct of a stressful mental state coupled with a preconception of what multiple personalities are.

In other words, people develop it because they think they can.

I’m not saying that that’s true (it wouldn’t be a controversy if a lot of people didn’t disagree with it). I’ve seen a few testimonies from people on this site who have friends who are diagnosed with DID and they seemed to have no doubt of the reality of their loved one’s suffering. 

In short, there’s a lot we still don’t know about DID, but it seems like it’s a hellish experience, with a lot of patients suffering from suicidal tendencies, self-harm, distortions in time perception, etc. I can’t really fathom why anyone would choose to willingly live through that without at least trying to get help. 

(Please note that I am neither a sufferer of DID nor any kind of doctor, so there are probably tons of people out there who know way more than I do.)

[jewishmeme-remade-deactivated20]

it is a hellish experience, but i can see where some are comfortable living in shared bodies. i personally am not, but i understand because sometimes i feel like i form a personal bond with my alter. like, she is a part of me thats not attached fully and im afraid that if i let go of her i will lose that part of me, so i just continue to live in a shared body. but i have made a lot of strides toward integration. its just very hard, and i think thats why a lot of people who are part of systems/experience dissociation do not want to integrate.

another reason is that usually DID is the result of trauma, and the alter holds the key to the trauma (meaning they/it knows about it, or knows more than you do). becoming integrated means facing that trauma and that is absolutely horrifying. many people may not want to integrate for that reason as well.

hope that helps

[sadlymistakin]

Someone else has already educated me on this manner. It’s counterproductive to discount an alter or favor any identity over any other. Your alter is a part of you, and trying to “get rid” of her won’t help you. I’m sorry if I made it sound like that’s something to strive for. 

[bosooka]

I feel like this might be really controversial but I really like the blog sadlymistakin The mod is very polite and informs instead of insults and it’s not like they hate otherkin/therian Theyre just trying to correct our mistakes Shoutout 2 the mod 4 being an ok person

[sadlymistakin]

Shout out received. Thank you very much!

[sadlymistakin]

I’ve already addressed this on this blog, but it keeps popping up. So, I would like to remind everyone once again that wolf packs in the wild do not operate by the stereotypical hierarchical structure. Packs consist of a nuclear family of a parent pair and their offspring, and the parents also participate fully in hunting.

[bosooka]

Larger packs also include grown children with their mates and offspring!!

[sadlymistakin]

Very true. 

[sadlymistakin]

Tigers are mostly nocturnal animals. However, in areas where there are no human habitations, tigers have been spotted hunting during the day. They are least active during midday, when the heat is the strongest, and sleep an average of 18 to 20 hours a day, a considerably longer amount of time than domestic cats, which sleep 12 to 16 hours a day. The reason tigers sleep so much is to conserve energy, as a more active tiger has to have more successful hunts in order to adequately nourish itself. Since only half of all tiger hunts are successful, it’s better for the tiger to play it safe and save up its reserves.

If you’re still up at three in the morning, then the reason you’re tired should speak for itself. 

[sadlymistakin]

I’ve already addressed this on this blog, but it keeps popping up. So, I would like to remind everyone once again that wolf packs in the wild do not operate by the stereotypical hierarchical structure. Packs consist of a nuclear family of a parent pair and their offspring, and the parents also participate fully in hunting.

[sadlymistakin]

Just found your blog & I love it so far. However, if I may make a correction on your response to that last ask: not all otherkin/therians like their kin/theriotype. I have know some otherkin who really, genuinely hated theirs.

Really? Noted. 

[sadlymistakin]

Question: what is your theory on people who identify as otherkin? Do you think it is a sign of mental illness? And comparing it to gender identity is being transgender/ identifying as non binary just as complicated or "not real" (I identify as genderqueer, just trying to figure out ur view on the comparison)

Well, from what I’ve seen, there are a lot of otherkin who don’t see it as being comparable to gender dysphoria. I’ve seen a lot of otherkin posts that are supposed to remind each other not to compare their identities with the LGBT community. Saying how they’re not oppressed and that their issue is not one that can be brought into public policy.

But I still see it all the time. Posts giving advice on how to “come out” (their own words) as otherkin. Otherkin that make up pronouns and genders for themselves. Not the normal stuff like non binary or agender or whatever but stuff like enigender and want to be addressed as ze. As in, ze and I went to the shops yesterday. Honestly, the fact that there are so many posts carefully explaining how not-oppressed they are is a sign of this problem in the community, that they have to keep firmly reminding other people this because both otherkin and non-otherkin get it confused.

As for why people become otherkin; I think there are a number of reasons. This is pure speculation, but it does occasionally have to do with mental illness. A lot of godkin are NPD sufferers, or at least claim to be. But I think, for some people, it has to do with escape. Like, their normal lives aren’t good enough or they themselves aren’t unique enough, so they come up with this other them that is more interesting or cooler. They can fly, they hoard treasure, they’re powerful and free. People like this usually have more than one kintype, and they just keep adding to the pile because if you limit yourself to one “other” identity, you can’t be cool in all the different ways the others are. You follow me? They want to be cool in ALL the ways.

But, not all otherkin are like that. The therians who follow me seem to just have a fascination with the animal they identify as. They just buy jewelry or look at photos of animals. In this case, I think otherkin is a way to get in tune with something they love. 

But when we get into things like factkin, that’s when it gets downright creepy. If you don’t already know, factkin are folks that identify as real-life people. Like Marilyn Monroe or Robert Downey Jr. And I have no idea what to make of that. Like, these people glamorize these famous figures so much that they objectify them to the point where they’re just costumes to put on. It reminds me of those crazy people who wrote X-rated fan fiction on the Goo Goo Dolls or whatever. I’ve read horror stories about factkin who identified as their own friends, stealing their clothes and styling their hair to match theirs and going by their name. You can kind of see that these people need some kind of help, but the only thing the person watching themselves get changelingefied right in front of them is just cut these people out of their lives because you so do not need a friend that thinks of you as a costume.

This ended up being pretty long, but what I wanted to get across is that otherkin is a blanket term for a wide range of things, some of which is okay and some of which is “alert the authorities” scary, with every level in between on a sliding scale. What makes it more complicated in the Tumblr otherkin community, there’s a lot of trolling, people making stuff up for attention, etc., so you have to take everything I just wrote with a grain of salt. 

To sum up: No, otherkin is not the same as a gender identity. There are lots of reasons it could happen. Some of them are mentally ill, sure, but some of the people in my dorm were mentally ill. Including me. Mentally ill people are everywhere, so I can’t say definitively how much of a correlation there is. 

Hope that answered your question.

[sadlymistakin]

I came here expecting intense otherkin hate, but I was actually quite surprised at your arguments and your knowledge. I'm quite pleased with it actually, although I consider myself therian rather than otherkin I love that you're informing people on mistakes they've made. Keep up the good work. Although I might add that you come off as brute and hateful at times ( that's just my opinion though ) so I'd like to suggest that while making yourself clear, you'd be a little more sympathetic. <3

I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog! Thank you very much!

[sadlymistakin]

Hey, I see you in the fickin tag a lot and I just wanted to let you know that you should probably consider multiple sides of an argument whilst arguing instead of sticking with just one and insisting everyone else is wrong. Example - the post where you stated foxes are not canines. Canine isn't really a good scientific term and can also be used for the family Canidae, which does, in fact, include foxes. You're attempting to seem impartial while taking the anti-kin side on EVERYTHING.

Erm, the post I made today is the first thing I made that even mentions fickin. It could be that Tumblr is putting all related tags into the search, which is not my fault. 

I have been very open with hearing other people’s sides of an argument. When I made my post about DID, I was open to other people’s opinions and sources and learned a lot because of it. 

The source I found was pretty clear in saying that organisms in the genus canis were the only animals that could be described as canines. Canids describes the family canidae. I’m sorry if you feel the facts are biased. 

[tayra-vanara-deactivated2016020]

I’m curious, do you have a link to the source you mentioned?

[sadlymistakin]

Yeah. It’s Wikipedia.

[tayra-vanara-deactivated2016020]

I read through that entire page and didn’t see anything stating or even implying that “canine” only refers to genus Canis. In fact, six out of the seven times that the word “canine” is used it is either in reference to all of Canidae (regarding its evolutionary radiation) or refers to a number of different genre in Canidae, not just Canis. To be fair, the last usage of “canine” links to the Canine Reproduction page which deals strictly with domestic dogs. But even still, it says nothing about canine meaning only Canis. The source doesn’t support what you’re saying it does.

[sadlymistakin]

On the canis page, it goes into the etymology of the word. Only there does it discuss the origin of the term canine. It seemed obvious to me.

Foxes are vulpine, aren’t they? Can an animal be a canine and a vulpine simultaneously? Maybe, I don’t know. But it was a minor point in my original post, anyway. 

[darwinslittlezorro-blog]

Both Merriam-Webster and  Encyclopædia Britannica list “canine” and “canid” as a member of the Canidae family.

[sadlymistakin]

Hmm. Interesting. Noted. 

[sadlymistakin]

Of the four distinct hyena species, only the spotted hyena, the most well-known of the group both in Africa and in the west, has the distinctive “laughing” vocalization. Spotted hyenas make a wide range of sounds, but their laugh, coupled with the lower “whooping” sound they make, are the most famous and among the most distinctive sounds of the African wilderness.

As you might have guessed, hyenas don’t laugh because of humor, mirth, or nervousness, the way humans do. Rather, laughter is a vocalization hyenas make when being chased by other hyenas, usually for a piece of food the hyena being chased has that the other wants.

The sound that seems to human ears to be “laughter” is actually a sign that the animal is a annoyed and wants to be left alone to eat in peace. Unfortunately for the giggler, the laughter often attracts other hyenas. Spotted hyenas will also perform grunting laughs when fleeing in surprise, attacking large prey, or encountering other hyena clans or lions, who of course are major competitors with spotted hyenas (a fact that Disney’s Lion King very faithfully portrayed).

[love0and0comfort0]

Oh god no

I m shifted today and I don’t remember what happened but it was in my first hour, and now every one thinks I’m crazy is Is that normal? I was feeling weak and nervous when I was sitting in my desk then I blacked out and woke up in a corner with tears on my face everyone said I was acting like a caged animal and I was sent home

[coyhowl]

Damn and I thought my shifts were crazy xD ive nearly fainted before but that’s it.

[mayhemily]

Considering otherkin aren’t real, you should go see a doctor. That sounds like a serious neurological issue.

[love0and0comfort0]

You are entitled to your own opinion but please do not post things like this because they can make people mad and one I’m not otherkin two I’m perfectly valid but some people aside from me have fallen into depression because of your supposedly “helpful ” advice I’m holding nothing against you I’m just saying please becareful of what you say because it could get you in a lot of trouble (this is not a threat just a warning)

[sadlymistakin]

Dude, if you’re blacking out, you need to at least go to the doctor and talk about what’s going on. It has nothing to do with your validity; this is negatively impacting your life. You can’t go on like that. 

[sadlymistakin]

I am not a scientist, I am not an expert medically or zoologically, I’m just a person who loves animals.

So, if you see a mistake on any of my posts, don’t be shy about pointing it out to me, and I’ll be sure to correct my error. 

Thank you!

[sadlymistakin]

Though dogs love to chew on plastic water bottles, it is not recommended that you let them. For starters, they could accidentally ingest the cap and choke or cut themselves on a sharp edge. It is also possible for a dog to tear off a bit of the bottle, swallow it, and cut themselves internally.

If you do want to give a dog a water bottle to chew, make sure you cut off the cap and the small ring underneath the cap. Remove the label and constantly supervise your dog to make sure the bottle isn’t too damaged. 

Finally, chewing on and ingesting plastic is a symptom of Pica, a disorder where animals, including humans, eat things that are not edible. Pica can be dangerous because swallowing objects such as plastic can do serious damage to your internal organs. If you feel the need to chew, there are plenty of plastic chew necklaces and other things online to help folks with oral fixation.

EDIT: Made a minor mistake. Chewing on inedible objects is not a sign of pica. Pica describes ingesting indigestible material, so simply chewing on things is not. 

[sadlymistakin]

Made a correction to the definition of pica. 

[sadlymistakin]

Hey, I see you in the fickin tag a lot and I just wanted to let you know that you should probably consider multiple sides of an argument whilst arguing instead of sticking with just one and insisting everyone else is wrong. Example - the post where you stated foxes are not canines. Canine isn't really a good scientific term and can also be used for the family Canidae, which does, in fact, include foxes. You're attempting to seem impartial while taking the anti-kin side on EVERYTHING.

Erm, the post I made today is the first thing I made that even mentions fickin. It could be that Tumblr is putting all related tags into the search, which is not my fault. 

I have been very open with hearing other people’s sides of an argument. When I made my post about DID, I was open to other people’s opinions and sources and learned a lot because of it. 

The source I found was pretty clear in saying that organisms in the genus canis were the only animals that could be described as canines. Canids describes the family canidae. I’m sorry if you feel the facts are biased. 

[tayra-vanara-deactivated2016020]

I’m curious, do you have a link to the source you mentioned?

[sadlymistakin]

Yeah. It’s Wikipedia.

[tayra-vanara-deactivated2016020]

I read through that entire page and didn’t see anything stating or even implying that “canine” only refers to genus Canis. In fact, six out of the seven times that the word “canine” is used it is either in reference to all of Canidae (regarding its evolutionary radiation) or refers to a number of different genre in Canidae, not just Canis. To be fair, the last usage of “canine” links to the Canine Reproduction page which deals strictly with domestic dogs. But even still, it says nothing about canine meaning only Canis. The source doesn’t support what you’re saying it does.

[sadlymistakin]

On the canis page, it goes into the etymology of the word. Only there does it discuss the origin of the term canine. It seemed obvious to me.

Foxes are vulpine, aren’t they? Can an animal be a canine and a vulpine simultaneously? Maybe, I don’t know. But it was a minor point in my original post, anyway. 

[sadlymistakin]

Whoops, I meant the fictionkin tag, aha. I got my source from Wikipedia, too, actually, as looking up the word canine also linked to the Canidae family page. I'm guessing that the term isn't exactly standardized. And of course the blog is going to seem biased; it's biased by its very concept, being a a blog purely devoted to picking out mistakes kin (and only kin) make and ignoring equally stupid anti-kin arguments. Also, I've been wondering - are you Otherkin, yourself?

I’ve said this before. No, I am not otherkin.

And yeah, this blog is biased. It’s through my perspective. I can’t exactly have a completely objective opinion. This blog is for pointing out mistakes kin make. That’s what it’s for. You want me to target anti-kin posts just ‘cause? Yeah, no, I don’t want to. My blog. 

Nya na na na na.

I have nothing against otherkin on principle. I mean, it seems like it could be kind of fun if done with maturity, and most of my followers are otherkin. But if you want me to have certain content on my blog just because it hurts your feelings not to, I suggest you venture elsewhere. 

Also, I don’t think foxes would care so much about terms and scientific classification, so if you’re fighting me so hard on this, it might be because you’re viewing foxes through an exclusively human lens? Not sure any fox therians would appreciate that.