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ok, I want you to list a few things that made you think about/turn goth? you can have more than one reason

1. I love black (ack a stereotype i know -.-)
2. I don't really mind the sun but I love the shade more
3. I love all metal and such
4. I write "angsty" poetry... at 3 am...
5. Most of my recent art work has a hint of angst/"emo" apparently
And that is all that I can remember 3nodding

My mom has called me a satan worshipper because I like "demonic" books and shows like FMA and Harry Potter. And I try to buy as many black shirts as possible. Only reasons I can think of. eek

Wow

Wearing black shirts does NOT make you goth.

My definition of goth:

"someone who chooses to be a goth, and also enjoys various gothic genres of music (goth rock, darkwave, death rock, dark cabaret, ethereal, visual kei, etc.), gothic fashion, and/or gothic literature (Poe, Gaiman, Shelley, etc.)."

How did I get into goth?

I just happened to fit into my own definition. I love goth-rock (Bauhaus, Voltaire, and Sisters of Mercy are my favorites), gothic literature, and gothic fashion. It seemed sort of natural to me. Not like I decided to become goth, or it happened all of the sudden, but rather, it seemed like I was always goth and it was only a matter of time before I realized it.

I got into it because I've never been socially accepted. I've always worn the clothes that I wanted to wear, to hell with the circumstances (yes this meant sundresses in winter and velvet christmas outfits in July when I was 5). This means I don't always wear black, and I don't often wear clothes that describe me as gothic, but we can't be too stereotypical in this counterculture, can we?
I am antisocial. I have diagnosed depression and anxiety (I don't take medicine because it doesn't come up unless I am under a lot of stress). I am not a cutter, but I have cut my forearms with pens (very aggrivating because it's dull, and it lasts longer and has very little mess) but this has only been in times of great stress. I don't identify it with me being goth, it's just one of those things.
I like Voltaire and Rasputina. I like Nightwish, Faith and the Muse, Inkubus Sukkubus, The Sex Pistols, MCR, APC, Tool, The Ramones, Dead Can Dance, Dead Kennedys, Malice Mizer, and HIM, but I also like stuff like Billie Holiday, Billy Idol, Sade, Nat King Cole, The Doors, Veruca Salt, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and so forth. I take music very seriously.

I do wear a lot of black. It's the primary tint of my wardrobe. It's simple, flattering, and it doesn't require a lot of thought or maintenance. I don't care if it doesn't stay PITCH black because I have two cats who crawl all over me any time they get the chance, but I wash all my clothes in cold water so they stay pretty true. I probably only have one full load of white/light color clothes in my entire wardrobe.

I love literature. I love philosophy. I love culture and art and religion. I am Pagan. For a long time, I worshiped a deity whose domains consisted of Nature, Beasts, Winter, and Death... and he had horns, too. I worship a lot of horned gods actually.... so I guess I kinda am a satan worshipper. I can't help it if they're all so furry and cuddly and masculine!!
(Just kidding, I take the demon worship stuff seriously, and do get offended by it).

I'm on the computer all the time, I love the night, so I'm usually nocturnal.

And two saturdays a month you can usually find me pretending to be a blood-sucking fiend of the night at one VtM LARP or another.

I love the supernatural. I love fashion. I am a history buff. So I guess I have a bit of it all.

The lists that can be made for this are varied and contradictory. There's no set list of things that can make someone goth. There are common traits that turn up everywhere though.

An affection for black: Black isn't essential though, you can wear white and still be goth

Goth bands: this is a big part for the first and second wave of the goth movement (1977-early 90s) but, we're now in the third wave and the meaning of goth have changed a little, you can now be considered goth without listening to goth music (for the love of all that is dark and un-holy it is not Manson or Emo and emo-esque bands). There are going to be arguements that you can't be goth without listening to the music but, if you saw me walking down the street you would call me goth despite that in the strictest, first-wave goth sense I'm just not goth. I like the music but it's not my favourite kind.

Antisocial: this is up for debate as well, it is true that most goths are usually solitary creatures, but that doesn't really make them anti-social. An anti-social person would shun society, but, most goths I know (true SoM + Cure listening goths) just prefer their own company but they won't go out of their way to avoid people. They like their friends, they like being around people, they just also like alone time. I have also found that most goths are introverted, which explains the 'loner mentality' that is rampant in the black-clad masses.

Depressive/suicidal: The general psychological make-up of the majority of goths suggests that they are the type to become more depressed easily. However, just because of that it doesn't mean that it is a rule of goth, it's just a trend.

Blood/vampires: goth and vampirism became linked because of some of the elder-goth bands; posing in graveyards and dressing up as vampires for kicks weren't uncommon for a couple bands, this was picked up and gradually the two became linked the way they are today. It's also worthy to note that the usual get-up of the stereotypical hollywood vampire is very similar to that of a goth (seen Nosferatu? that suit wouldn't look out of place in a goth club on a romanti-goth)

Poems and literature: Gothic literature, in my opinion is overrated and frankly, not that good. I would rather go through burns treatment than have to sit through Dracula or Frankenstein again. It is true that more of the gothic persuasion read more than the usual member of public (possibly because of the high amounts of introverts), but it is hard to generalise someone's reading tastes just because of the way they dress. But, it has to be said that you are quite likely to find 18th century authors on a goth's bookshelves.

Goth sense of humour: is like the English sense of humour (and not very disimilar); there is nothing actually very different about the typical goth sense of humour, only that it is more subtle than the usual toilet and more than obvious situational humour that is popular in today's society. Sarcasm and cynicism is usually popular, also irony.

Religion: there's no set "goth religion", but it is true that goths are far more accepting of religious differnces than most people you'd find. Genreal acceptance and a laid-back attitude to others is also a common goth trait.

Ah... the list goes on but with that already big lump of text there's few that would read it all the way through.

lol, it's well known that you have too much spare time on your hands :p mucho thankies for the priase *feels honoured*. See, I'm more than just a pretty face xd , it's also pretty evident I have too much spare time as well seeing as I spent so much time writing that sweatdrop