To me, as to many others, one of the Gothic lifestyle's most appealing features is the appreciation of aesthetic. Beauty means a lot to Goths, and we often find it in places that 'normals' are not in the habit of looking.
Though Gothic artists draw inspiration from throughout history, the Goth movement itself finds its closest parallel in the Decadent movement that flowered in Europe in the late 1800's. Images of death, decay, artifice and unreality were the mainstays of this artistic school, and the aim was to find beauty in what they saw as the decline of civilization and the sunset of their culture.
Likewise, the Goth today is one who looks for aesthetic pleasure in that which the larger society finds threatening, ugly, or disturbing.
Some common gothic motifs, and my take on them: Please note, the average goth probably already knows most of this, and more. These are intended as primers for the newbie, the under-educated, and the interested outsider and as such may contain some simplifications
Vampires, Tuberculosis, and Moral Relativity: A Brief Overview
The Ankh: What Does That Funny Cross Mean?
