Maybe that´s the „mistake“. You are trying to be polite and achieve exactly the opposite. The longer you let them babble, the more they get the feeling you belong to them and the greater their disappointment will be when you finally reveal that you belong to the department of rational thinking. I made that experience a lot of times myself. With very long hair (not as long as yours, but now nearly reaching my butt), and “hippie-style-clothing” (when I was younger) that´s not a big surprise.
How to deal with it? Of course don´t change your look because of that, but if you are approached with any woo subject, make it perfectly clear at this very moment that you are not sharing these views. They´ll still be disappointed but maybe not that angry for being fooled.
You're right. I haven't thought about it quite like that. I tend to listen until it's "my turn", which with many enthusiastic woos usually mean that my turn is far off into the future
I'll take your advice and try to be more clear from the beginning from now on!
Fran. . . um, well, er. . . .I think I've fallen in love with you!
Oh my! *BLUSH*
You will then appreciate the problem my daughter had. She likes sloths, and tends to dress in black (more emo and hard rock than goth), so she was nicknamed SlothyGothy. She created an artpage with that name, only to get frustrated with the stereotyping. Here is the result:
Yes, I can relate. I remember my heavy metal teenage years. Back then that meant you were a
Satanist 
I think that's wonderful that she likes Sloths
How old is your daugther? She's quite talented!
Originally Posted by -Fran-
All this, I have discovered, is the cast from which newage people are molded! You can NOT look like that and not be a woo!
Maybe I misunderstood the original post a bit because of that statement.
My mistake. I wasn't completely serious there, but a bit sarcastic as well
. As I mention later, I don't really say that
all woos are alike, but it wasn't very clear in this passage.
No way, Fran, you keep dressing the way you like!!
I would like to say I also suffer from this problem. I tend to dress like a cheap tramp. I am being completely serious... I have always had an affinity for Dolly Parton. For some reason, perhaps because I am not a Gap model clone, kooky people assume I'm kooky, too.
I sure will!!
Yes, it just goes to show that things like these are much more complicated than first assumed. I'm sure you don't look like a cheap tramp
You just need to add some new jewelry to your wardrobe....
Oh, but that's adorable
I need that brain!!
One wonders why you think this is even worth remarking on. The bare fact is
that if you dress like a member of a particular group then most mundanes will
naturally assume that you subscribe to the common beliefs of that group.
Most often, this is indeed the case; clothing styles are commonly used as
powerful symbols of "tribal affiliation".
Yes, I am more aware of things like this nowadays, but some years back I was really naive about it all I must admit. It didn't occur to me that woos, as they are called,
was a group in that sense, the beliefs seemed so many and different (though as one looks more into it, they are often rather connected and rather alike at the core of it, really). Naturally I had noticed many woos liked that style, but I was naive about that people would think you a woo just because of the style, I didn't connect it
that strongly with woo beliefs.
An interesting social experiment would be to accept one of their invitations
and turn up at one of their "new age festivals" wearing a business suit, or a
burkha
Now that
would be interesting! I will remember that the next time I get invited to things like that.
Originally Posted by Michael Redman
The evidence you present leads me to doubt your claim regarding your first language. Can you prove you speak another language better than English? I doubt it. Your English is too good.
I was thinking the same thing. There are some native English speakers in the Million Dollar Challenge threads that can't write as coherent a post!
Thank you, both of you, if that's the case I am happy and flattered. Though believe me, I make the silliest mistakes sometimes, as the time I told an American lady in a chat that 'Santa wears a red dress in Sweden also', the word 'dress' sounding somewhat like the Swedish word for 'costume'
But I think I managed to explain that the Swedish Santa Claus is no transvestite but just an ordinary boring Santa
Welcome Fran,
I look like........
well, read my signature.
Thank you
lol, that happens? Orange clad monks trying to burn inscense in your belly button?
Welcome!
I look like a scientist.
Thank you
And what do they look like?
I get that. I have long hair, piercings, and I guess something of an indi / emo / new age attitude. I burn incense and like to read sci-fi, have buttons on my jacket and used to have a lot to do with medieval reenactment. I had to learn how to deal with the embarrassed tantrums of people who figured I believed in nonsense suddenly learn that I'm 'not that kind of fringe dweller'.
Athon
Ah, yes, I know what you mean. I have lots of piercings too, and likes to read SF as well, and incense, well, it does smell good
Need not to be part of any strange beliefs to smell good either, but there's another thing that attracts woos, inscense, I think they can smell it from a very long distance
