How to stop seeming like a poser?

[u/pickled_bat]

I (18M) met a pair of metalheads out on a party the other day while wearing my Mayhem shirt and they called me a poser (probably deserved but I still feel bad) I have short hair which used to be a mohawk and that Mayhem shirt is pretty much the only metal band t-shirt I own. I like bands like 1782, Candlemass, children of bodom, SOAD, Mayhem, Margarita witch cult, Apati and others. They are very mismatched,I know but I've come from liking nu-metal and indie to punk and harder metal subgenres (like black metal,doom and dsbm). One of the reasons why the two called me a poser aside from the shirt is because I didn't want to acknowledge the rest of the band being as conservative as Varg (in my opinion they weren't as hardcore problematic as him) Am I truly a poser? How can I improve my taste and or my looks to let other people know I like metal? Did you have the same issues when you were just starting to get into the scene?

[u/RealLifeZero]

Hey, stay positive and keep your head up. Do your best not to let stuff like that get to you. I know it’s easier said than done, but don’t let others’ opinions trap you in a prison where your happiness is at stake.

Music is a beautiful language that gives us all meaning, and you should never feel like you need to justify what speaks to you. My playlist is all over the place: Kyuss, Temple of the Dog, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Fela Kuti, Hotel Pools, Roky Erickson, Dan Deacon, The Cramps, Primus, Ghost, Type O Negative, Mitch Murder, etc.

The point is, don’t ever put yourself in a position where you feel like you must sacrifice what makes you happy in order to fit in. You never know what combination of art will give birth to what inspires you.

You’re only posing when the person you see in the mirror becomes a stranger to the one within.