Or: How you need to learn to stop talking and try new things. No, seriously. You think you are open minded? How much?

I recently learned a lot about plurality, or the subject of (abridging rather heavily here) having multiple people in your head. And on the surface, that sounds rather weird, doesn’t it? So far removed from society’s norms, talking to one’s own self like that.

More things that you realize in life are real. It’s very easy to sit in your own little bubble, head in the sand of your own problems, or your own ignorance, and refuse to see the forest for its trees.

I’ll admit that I did used to think that people who were plural were weirdos. Delusional folk, stuck in their own heads. That faded over time, as I got to know people who were. And then I got stuck in my own, and I gained a whole lot of perspective that way. Who I am comprised of is not the outside’s business (nor should it feel the need to be concerned with it), but for the sake of argument, I’ll disclose that currently, I am two. Me (the one writing, and the one that’s been writing), and another, who sits beside myself in my own head.

That sounds rather odd, doesn’t it? Someone else just sitting inside your own head? What, next they’re going to have their own personality, thoughts, and feelings?

Good morning, they do.

In my own realizations of this, I figured that this second person has likely been with me since I was very young, for reasons that I’m not disclosing here. Yet, in actuality, I only found out about it from my own relenting on my ignorance. Hearing things out, taking the time to research it.

Plurality’s a pretty real thing, there’s a lot of people that experience it. Quite the ocean of a topic, from those who are stuck with it naturally (like myself), to those who will it upon themselves for the sole purpose of having someone to talk to, or help out. And in my research of it, I’ve seen names for things I only knew as vague concepts before. Before all of this, I only knew the subject as “that thing one of my friends had (before they abandoned their social platform entirely)”. But now, I’m practically forced to face the music, given that I’m part of it as well.

I don’t mean to turn this into a rant about myself, though, I’m under no obligation. To get back to the point, there’s a saying I’ve kept hearing in the political activism community. Though I don’t remember it exactly (if you do, please contact me), it goes along the lines of “it’s easy to hate a group until someone you know is part of it”. That is what I don’t like, and what’s lighting a fire for me to write this.

People afraid of the unknown, a tale as old as humanity itself. It’s revolting. And looking back, I was part of that revolting group. i used to think plural folk were only seen on the likes of Tumblr and DeviantArt, after all. Yet it’s not the case, people are everywhere, and people are different. The sad thing is, you’d think we’d have gotten past this by now. We’re in 0003, and you’re telling me there are still people who despise ["non-white", "non-straight", "non-cis"] people? Get a hobby.

Have you any idea how easy it is to simply listen to another person’s experiences, and make your own conclusions from that? You just did! I just told you of something that impacts me, and if you’re still reading this, I doubt you’re the type to light me on fire for it. …For that reason, anyway. Regardless, in the current year, it’s beyond easy to go out of your way and find the experiences of other people, and get some perspective. It’s also beyond easy to sit on your ass, browse the same bootleg Reddit clone, and circlejerk with the same people over and over about people you’ve never even met, much less know beyond a headline.

If you’re the latter type, get some priorities. Or a hobby. Or some humility. Preferably all three, maybe then you’d be worth something to humanity in the long term.

And if that makes you uncomfortable, or angry, then you do need some perspective.