I wouldn't call Goth "strange". They're outfit are strange, sure, but they're mostly sane. :p (At least the one that I know ^^)
Strange =/= insane.
I've met many, many goths. The vast majority of them do happen to come from broken homes and fucked-up histories, but they've dealt with it -much- more efficiently than most 'normal' folk I've met. While other people hide what makes them unique out of fear of being spurned, we don't give much of a fuck and see everything in life as one big fucking joke. The only people you'll ever meet who take 'being a goth' way too seriously are little idiot teenagers who don't realize its just one macabre parody of life. We all started like that...
I was intensely into the history of the goth, punk, and post-punk movements as a youngster but never got why others would so intensely cling to the current fads. It just made me realize there are hipsters in ANY group or culture, and so I learned to differentiate between the 'I wear black and listen to dark music because I'm want to be badass and have no self-esteem or sense of uniqueness' retards, and the 'I do what I do because its entertaining and I like it. Quit taking shit so seriously and just enjoy yourself!' types.
Its a lifestyle to all, but on varying degrees. Me? I don't see the need to advertise my personal tastes to everyone around me. I wear business attire and look like your typical 20-something who works in a bank or office, always in a suit & tie. Sure, I used to love having chest-length black hair, leather boots up to my knees, and fucking awesome outfits which I'd wear 24/7, but its so much more efficient when you have a differentiation between your personal and business/formal life.