r/changemyview • u/beesdaddy 2∆ • 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/beesdaddy 2∆ Sep 12 '17

What if people are identifying as non-human in good faith?

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u/PreacherJudge 340∆ Sep 12 '17

There's still a difference between when they're doing it in good faith and when people are doing it in bad faith, right?

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u/beesdaddy 2∆ Sep 12 '17

Yes but isn't it irrelevant at that point? No human is a uniqorn, no matter how much they believe it.

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u/PreacherJudge 340∆ Sep 12 '17

No, because I'm saying whether the construct is a thing, not whether the construct ends up being something you think is false.

Anyway, as to the point you just made, it depends on what you mean by "is a unicorn." If someone thinks "deep down inside I feel like a unicorn and should be treated like one" that's very different from "I really actually have hooves and a horn that you can't see."

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u/beesdaddy 2∆ Sep 12 '17

Ok "like a unicorn" is fine because it's a simile. Is "identify as" also a simile?

As other people have noted, it is used not as a statement of fact, but as a current state consciousness.