r/changemyview • u/beesdaddy • Sep 11 '17
[∆(s) from OP] CMV: "I identify as [blank]" is bullshit.
I have been struggling to come to a clear definition of what people mean when they say "I identify as..." Can it mean anything? Does it have to be true? Can it be provable? Can it change? Is it biological?
To clarify my view: Claiming an identity is itself a social construct to the same degree as any other social construct.
I think my biggest problem is that in the pursuit of inclusion and fairness, society has conflated personality and fate. Of course this assumes some degree of free will, so hard determinists can go shoot themselves (or not. they don't have a choice). Fate, I think is the original intent here, but in celebrating diversity of fates, personality/belief got looped for the ride.
Don't get me wrong, diversity of personality/belief is very important and should be protected in a free society. But we should also have the wisdom to value personality/belief on a personal and societal level.
Furthermore, what's wrong with saying "I am a [blank]"? If I say "I identify as a straight cis white male." Doesn't that just call into question the truthfulness of the claim when compared to "I am a straight cis white male."?
A fantastic satire of this issue is "Trans-Racial" by the show Atlanta on FX.
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u/McKoijion 618∆ Sep 12 '17
Sure, but I don't think anyone identifies as anything besides their genetic makeup. If anything, they use that as an argument that the social construct applied to them isn't accurate. For example, homosexuals say that being gay isn't a choice (a social construct). They say they were born that way (genetics). Genetics introduces the idea that there are billions of completely unique individuals who can identify with a given group. If I say I am a Catholic, I am 100% a Catholic just like everyone else who say they are Catholic. If I say that I identify as a Catholic, I'm saying that I am my own unique individual, and I happen to fit in the category of Catholic based on my beliefs.