There is no initiation, or rite of passage; one can enter the Goth culture without gaining anyone's approval since this particular culture does not have a particular leader. Goths tend to resist being controlled (Kilpatrick, 3) and needing to qualify to enter the movement would go against one of the main components of the culture. It is clear that individuals associated with the Goth culture distinguish themselves through their eerie, dark and mysterious fashion (La Ferla), however another distinction can be observed through their ways of thinking and approaching life. In her book The Goth Bible, Nancy Kilpatrick interviewed several everyday Goths and one main characteristic seems to be recurrent -- being Goth is about finding romanticism in darkness. While many Goths will discover their affinity for this romanticism in their teens, or youth -- since these are the years where most of us feel misunderstood, like outsiders - it is a lifestyle that many choose to pursue through...

I personally cannot see myself "joining," or being attracted to this culture, however. The dark side just does not seem to attract me and I prefer to keep a more optimistic outlook on life. I do have to admit that the research I made on this Goth culture helped me to view it differently than I did in the past -- as something slightly less morbid and simply different.
References

Bibby, Michael, and Lauren E. Goodlad. Goth: Undead Subculture. Duke University Press, 2007. Print.

Kilpatrick, Nancy. The Goth Bible: A Compendium for the Darkly Inclined. Macmillan, 2004. Print.

La Ferla, Ruth. "Embrace the Darkness." The New York Times, 30 October 2005.

Wilson, Cintra. "You Just Can't Kill It," The New York Times, 17…