Of your own making
I don't like groups. I don't know why I have such a natural aversion to them but perhaps it is because I don't like feeling like I am being herded somewhere and being a shy kid probably played into it. Groupthink is something I desperately avoid and if you are easily influenced perhaps seeking comfort within them isn't the best idea but I can certainly understand their allure for the extrovert. I think my cynicism developed by watching people since very young and witnessing hypocrisy and pretense first hand. Also like my father I have a low tolerance for stupidity. Hence I worked on my psyche and coped mostly on my own. Yes, you still struggle like everyone else but at least you are either victim or beneficiary of decisions purely of your own making.
I'm all for gender-freedom and choice but have doubts about some of this. Our society's understanding of gender is still primitive so claiming knowledge of it is often faulty. Back in the Seventies/Eighties, I was part of the feminist movement that argued gender is a social-construct with no biological basis. We (or at least I) now know that to be untrue. It may be politically popular to talk about existing outside the binary but I suspect in 10-20 years, science will disprove many of these ideas. Which isn't to say I disagree with arguing politically about expanding our society's idea of gender -- that's a worthwhile project -- just that I don't believe anyone has yet arrived at the absolute truth of humanity.
ReplyDeleteI see this whole thing as a rudimentary and clumsy step towards establishing an identity outside of the strict binary rules. It doesn't mean that it will last but I for one am glad that people are trying to break away from their straight jackets. Do I think that there are many genders? no but the appetite to define oneself is often fed through titles which is what this effort is about. As soon as gender variance is more widely accepted a lot of this will likely calm down.
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