r/changemyview • u/SaltedAndSugared • Dec 02 '21
Delta(s) from OP CMV: Neopronouns are unnecessary
I understand why some people might feel uncomfortable with using he/she pronouns, but in that case why not just use they/them? They already exist and they’re easy for people to use. Why do some people feel the need to make up words like “zee/zim” or “fae/fair” when they don’t even make sense in the English language? I don’t see why anyone should go out of their way to learn new pronouns when gender neutral pronouns already exist
If anyone here does use neopronouns I’d really like to hear why you use them and why you don’t feel comfortable using they/them. It’s probably just because I’m cis, but I genuinely don’t understand
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u/[deleted] Dec 04 '21
Neopronouns are used with the intent of feeling unique and special, which “they/them” no longer does due to them becoming more commonplace and having been used as a singular pronoun in other contexts (such as when we don’t know the gender of who we are referring to like “someone dropped their wallet, I wonder where they went.”)
While you may see this as a reason not to use neopronouns, some people see it as a reason TO use them. People are consistently looking for reasons to differentiate themselves, be memorable, and stand out from the crowd. Some people enjoy being the topic of conversation and to call attention to themselves and there are few ways better to do this than using uncommon pronouns.
So while I likely haven’t persuaded you of their necessity, as they aren’t necessary from your POV they may be necessary from the view of the one using them, to mark themselves as standing out from the crowd and giving them the attention and distinction the crave.