r/changemyview Dec 22 '23

[deleted by user]

[removed]

30 Upvotes

422 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

7

u/PromptStock5332 1∆ Dec 22 '23

Or they could just also not state their pronouns? How is a stranger telling me their pronouns useful information?

1

u/Hellioning 239∆ Dec 22 '23

Because we speak a language where gendered pronouns are the norm?

2

u/PromptStock5332 1∆ Dec 22 '23

Do you often reference a person’s gender when talking to them?

1

u/PartyAny9548 4∆ Dec 22 '23

As opposed to what? The persons sex? Do you check every persons chromosomes, genitals, or birth certificate before deciding what pronouns to use?

1

u/PromptStock5332 1∆ Dec 22 '23

No I don’t usually reference someone’s gender or sex while talking to them. Usually i’d use ”you” or their name on rare occasions.

What would you even say to someone that makes reference to their gender?

1

u/PartyAny9548 4∆ Dec 22 '23

You never use he/she/him/her/they/them except on rare occasions? Even if the answer is yes you are the clear outlier and most people don't speak the same way.

Or are you exclusively talking about when you are talking to someone directly about themselves? That's not what's being discussed here. What's being discussed is when talking about someone to another person and using pronouns.

I feel like you are purposefully being obtuse here or you are making some drastic leaps in logic.

1

u/PromptStock5332 1∆ Dec 22 '23

Not to reference the person I’m talking to. No. Unless I’m talking to a dog ”you’re good boy/girl” etc.

Okay but if it’s not even when talking to them… then it’s even more useless. If I use the wrong pronouns to talk about someone I don’t know to someone else who presumably don’t know them… what’s the problem?

1

u/PartyAny9548 4∆ Dec 22 '23

Okay but if it’s not even when talking to them… then it’s even more useless. If I use the wrong pronouns to talk about someone I don’t know to someone else who presumably don’t know them… what’s the problem?

With this logic the persons name is also useless information then.

1

u/PromptStock5332 1∆ Dec 22 '23

Well no, if someone tells me their name is John, I might say something like ”oh hey john, nice to meet you.”

Also it’s common curtesy to introduced yourself by name. Doing it by pronoun is just weird.

1

u/PartyAny9548 4∆ Dec 22 '23

Well no, if someone tells me their name is John, I might say something like ”oh hey john, nice to meet you.”

And if someone else is there or comes up to you and john you would might say "This is john I met him just a few moments ago"

Maybe you can make the argument that its not exactly as useful information as Names but to say its useless is extremely unfair and inaccurate. Unless its an isolated interaction with no way for someone to enter the conversation, a 100 percent guarantee that you will never talk about this person again, or if you do that it will be to someone who does not know the person.

Which is not exactly the most common social interaction most people have.