The Feral Class

[Viker]

I'm still trying to figure out if I'm feral or not.

You totally are you wild person you.

 

[rocala]

I see many now, far more than I used to. I would be very reluctant to put them in a particular group. Some are born into it. A common stereotype is raised on a council estate, single parent family, the mother started having kids young, AKA GITS (grandmothers in their thirties), overweight, smoking, bad diet, uneducated. That does not describe all though. Some descend into through alcohol, drugs, peer pressure.

It also seems to be the case that some, seem to get a strong sense of 'belonging' from it.

 

[Regiomontanus]

Not really. I've noticed no organized effort among them to suggest feral aside from community involvement. Drug addiction and mental illness would be better applied to our bankers, lawyers, and to corporate America.

Sorry, I misinterpreted what you were asking.

 

[JustGeorge]

You totally are you wild person you.

Guess I'll go dig out my loin cloth!

At least the weather's great for it today.

It also seems to be the case that some, seem to get a strong sense of 'belonging' from it.

This is very true. I've noted amongst all classes of people, there are still expectations for attitude and how one presents or conducts themselves.

I suspect there's very few truly 'feral' people around.

I think what this thread seems to point at is more 'unpolished' people? Still trying to figure it out.

 

[Kathryn]

I have a brother who is seriously mentally ill and also addicted to substances that are illegal for a reason. Though I would probably classify him as feral, he wouldn't at all. He has joined a group of people who are below him in my opinion but he won't listen to me. I mean, he has a college degree and I don't think many or any of that group do. He called me late one night and he was high or drunk or something and he was going on and on about how dangerous this particular group of people were, but then the next day they are his best friends again. So hmmmmm....anyway, he fits two of the three danger zones but he wouldn't say he's FERAL. So that's that.

I think he's homeless right now but he hasn't always been.

 

[Secret Chief]

I'm still trying to figure out if I'm feral or not.

Do you spend time in alleys?

 

[rocala]

I think what this thread seems to point at is more 'unpolished' people? Still trying to figure it out.

I think that we are using some very general terms for wildy varying groups of people.

Example - A few minutes walk from my home is an abandoned pub. Recently the owners decided to redevelop the place. Workmen went in, there was an old chest freezer in what had been a kitchen. In the freezer was the body of a friend of mine. The autopsy revealed that he had been murdered and placed in the freezer about 12 years previously.

It is estimated that at any time over that period up tp 30 people were living there. No electricity, no running water, just the stench of a rotting corpse which I am sure they were all aware off. Sounds pretty feral to me.

 

[Balthazzar]

I still wouldn't consider any of that or them feral. More like social misfits. I should know. I'm a lifelong social misfit.

It was suggested that feral suggests moving from domestication to a more primitive type of lifestyle. I'm in agreement, which would suggest to me, at least in a human structure, that organizational capabilities and an understanding of modern society is involved in that particular class. Wild is wild, feral is feral ... The question, I guess, is how long before feral classes become wild apart from society. I hate to bring up religion in a non-religious section, but wouldn't Jesus have implied that being in the world but not of the world to be a descriptor of what was expected? It makes me wonder because I don't acknowledge most defined in this thread to belong to that specific culture.

 

[HonestJoe]

No

Could that be because the class of people you're imagining don't really exist? If you can't clearly define the label and can't give any examples (even hypothetical), I don't see how you can expect people to discus them.

Maybe you need to go in to more detail on what led you to believe such a distinct grouping of people exists in the first place and establish what factors are actually behind that perception?

 

[JustGeorge]

I have a brother who is seriously mentally ill and also addicted to substances that are illegal for a reason. Though I would probably classify him as feral, he wouldn't at all. He has joined a group of people who are below him in my opinion but he won't listen to me. I mean, he has a college degree and I don't think many or any of that group do. He called me late one night and he was high or drunk or something and he was going on and on about how dangerous this particular group of people were, but then the next day they are his best friends again. So hmmmmm....anyway, he fits two of the three danger zones but he wouldn't say he's FERAL. So that's that.

I think he's homeless right now but he hasn't always been.

Yeah... if you don't get a college degree, you'll be stuck hanging with the likes of @Secret Chief !

(I don't have a college degree, though I think @Secret Chief has a few. It just seemed like a scary threat.)

Sorry about your brother's troubles.

Do you spend time in alleys?

Yeah, I'm feral.

I think that we are using some very general terms for wildy varying groups of people.

Example - A few minutes walk from my home is an abandoned pub. Recently the owners decided to redevelop the place. Workmen went in, there was an old chest freezer in what had been a kitchen. In the freezer was the body of a friend of mine. The autopsy revealed that he had been murdered and placed in the freezer about 12 years previously.

It is estimated that at any time over that period up tp 30 people were living there. No electricity, no running water, just the stench of a rotting corpse which I am sure they were all aware off. Sounds pretty feral to me.

So sorry to hear your friend was discovered like that...

It was suggested that feral suggests moving from domestication to a more primitive type of lifestyle. I'm in agreement, which would suggest to me, at least in a human structure, that organizational capabilities and an understanding of modern society is involved in that particular class. Wild is wild, feral is feral ... The question, I guess, is how long before feral classes become wild apart from society. I hate to bring up religion in a non-religious section, but wouldn't Jesus have implied that being in the world but not of the world to be a descriptor of what was expected? It makes me wonder because I don't acknowledge most defined in this thread to belong to that specific culture.

Ah, so more like communal or off the grid living?

 

[Viker]

I think that we are using some very general terms for wildy varying groups of people.

Example - A few minutes walk from my home is an abandoned pub. Recently the owners decided to redevelop the place. Workmen went in, there was an old chest freezer in what had been a kitchen. In the freezer was the body of a friend of mine. The autopsy revealed that he had been murdered and placed in the freezer about 12 years previously.

It is estimated that at any time over that period up tp 30 people were living there. No electricity, no running water, just the stench of a rotting corpse which I am sure they were all aware off. Sounds pretty feral to me.

Still wouldn't consider that feral. Irresponsible, yes.

 

[Kathryn]

I don't really know anyone who fits that description, I guess. Or who fits that non description.

 

[Balthazzar]

Could that be because the class of people you're imagining don't really exist? If you can't clearly define the label and can't give any examples (even hypothetical), I don't see how you can expect people to discus them.

Maybe you need to go in to more detail on what led you to believe such a distinct grouping of people exists in the first place and establish what factors are actually behind that perception?

They may not. I was curious, though.

 

[rocala]

Still wouldn't consider that feral. Irresponsible, yes.

Not returning your library books is irresponsible. Murdering someone and leaving them to rot where you sleep probably deserves something a little more specific.

 

[Balthazzar]

Ah, so more like communal or off the grid living?

Hippie communes might actually fit the type, but I've never been involved in one, so I couldn't say to be certain.

 

[rocala]

Hippie communes might actually fit the type,

No, absolutely not.

 

[Balthazzar]

No, absolutely not.

You must be a Pan I am. I am an I am as is Pan, but I'm not so sure that they do not fit they type, being removed from social domestication and all. To accustom a premise to the principle, perhaps it would pay to pay attention to the points. If not, then we're wasting time and your contributions are no less invalid than my own.

 

[ChristineM]

It's nothing new in the world and I had never given it much thought prior to a few years ago, but the feral class of people are present, even in some of our cities. I was wondering if anyone knew much about the social aspects of this particular demographic. Are they travelers, nomads, or outcasts? Or, are they simply sick of society and the way our society operates, being of the world but not part of our social structures? Do they involve themselves in politics or do they live independent from our governmental policies? I'm curious because I would think there's a reason for the feral lifestyle.

What do you mean by feral?

 

[Viker]

I did a little research. In the past few years, feral has become slang for anyone who's not socially adjusted, not socially acceptable and of course derelict or homeless person.

Not only are we as a society currently criminalizing homelessness but dehumanizing them as well. Seems the only "ferals" are actually us.

 

[JustGeorge]

I did a little research. In the past few years, feral has become slang for anyone who's not socially adjusted, not socially acceptable and of course derelict or homeless person.

Not only are we as a society currently criminalizing homelessness but dehumanizing them as well. Seems the only "ferals" are actually us.

I 'unno...

I don't object to being feral.

Feral cats are intelligent, and resourceful. I'm fine with being classified with them.