5 ms·
A name is not an intrinsic trait of a person, it's a legal abstraction. Your name has no meaning outside of it's designation as a name and you can change it at
by cheeseomlit 5y ago
A name is not an intrinsic trait of a person, it's a legal abstraction. Your name has no meaning outside of it's designation as a name and you can change it at any time. 'Mike', 'Michael', and 'Michelangelo' all mean the same thing- it's just an arbitrary word used to identify a person. 'Him' and 'Her' on the other hand are not arbitrary and do not mean the same thing, they refer to directly observable biological traits that cannot be changed.
- karpierz 5y agoHow do you tell if someone is a 'him' or 'her'? What are the criteria you use to make that decision, and why are they immutable? (Please don't say XY chromosomes, you don't do a genetic test on everyone you meet.)
- cheeseomlit 5y agoWe can tell instinctively based on a whole slew of traits, within a split second of looking at a person your brain identifies their sex whether you want to or not. Skeletal structure alone is a dead giveaway.
- karpierz 5y agoSo if your brain instinctive recognizes someone as a "her", they're a "her"?
- blindmute 5y agoYes.
- jhgb 5y agoHuman brains seem really good at these things, just like they're good at for example recognizing faces. Perhaps it has something to do with evolutionary pressure for our survival?
- freemint 5y agoThese ability also differ (or can be influenced) by culture so ... I wouldn't make any universalist claims based on human perception.
- jlawson 5y agoA him is someone who was born with a penis. A her is someone who was born with a vagina. The very, very few people who don't fit clearly into either of these categories (intersex) are exceptions and can be handled on a case-by-case basis. They are immutable because their reproductive role is immutable. A her can never impregnate. A him can never gestate. (Either can choose not to perform their particular ability, or lose the ability to do so, but that doesn't change the meaning of these words.)
- frumper 5y agoWe use our best judgement. In my experience it's most often confused in babies because it can be difficult to tell at times. I do not get upset when they say my son is adorable even though I don't have a son. I accept the spirit of their comment and try to politely correct them with something like: Thank you, she loves to flash a good smile. Then I go on my way.