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maybe some day I'll go back to spending more than 5 minutes writing about the same thing -.-
singular they obviously. not even a question. it (yeah this pronoun refers to a pronoun, what of it?) feels very natural, and it has been around since the 14th century. most languages don't have this luxury!! they have to come up with awkward ad-hoc grammar hacks that are hard for native speakers to wrap their head around and sound deeply ungrammatical, so they don't really see widespread adoption.
that said, I much prefer gender-neutral he to something like "he or she" (looking at you DSM-V), because it is intentionally gender-neutral. I mean, what is he/she even? masc he + fem she? that excludes anyone who doesn't use either. and if it's neutral he + fem she then the she is simply redundant and pointless!
THAT SAID, there is still no reason to prefer neutral he over singular they. I mean, cause what, some early 20th century writers had europe envy syndrome? fuck them. this is OUR language.
qntm is probably my favorite internet author. most of their stuff in on the SCP wiki; just start at SCP-055 and then work your way up the tales.
none of it really holds up TOO well to, you know, critical thinking -- but THAT's what suspension of disbelief is FOR! once you get into the mindset that there is no antimemetics division it's really really good.
this is not the first time you're reading this.
I don't expect you to expect me, but baby I'm here. and you expect me to do all sorts of crazy shit. no honey, I can't program in malbolge unshackled, it ain't happening dear. nooo, I can't steal a 737-800 and fly across the atlantic, international airports take security very seriously silly. sigh. I don't expect you to leave me alone, but frankly dear, if I could I would have murdered you already- no. shut up. no that is not unexpected in the slightest. quite predictable, in fact. no babe, we are not world famous. and we sure as HELL ain't assasinating no goddamn heads of STATE ya hear me? sighhh.
no love, I expect you to die.
most things are either horrifically beautiful or beautifully horrifying. that or they aren't worth your attention.
I dunno what I'm doing. no one really knows do they. it's all bullshit anyhow. everyone says shit all the time but they're all clueless as shit are they not. it all just kinda happens and it makes no fucken sense. that's okay. it doesn't have to. but it does make being on the short end of the stick kinda awful.
all I can do is go on and go along. and maybe I'll wash ashore somewhere nice, or awful. or more likely nice in the emotionally coercive way. oh well.
but of course it would help if they knew who I am. they are still fucking clueless sure, but another cog in the machine is no less helpful than no machine at all. but they don't know me. they think they do, and I play my part, and they say all sorts of awful shit and I smile and nod along. or rather, I've put myself in a position where uttermost inaction and passivity is what's expected of me so as to minimize the cost of my part in the play. an awful play at that, mind you. the cosmos is a joke in poor taste and we are the punchline. or I am, depending on what end of the DSM-V I feel like going for that particular day.
the point is that persecutory delusions don't actually matter that much. whether it's I or we it's all the same to me. or us. who gives a fuck. if they wanted to kill me it would have already been done. but that's not the point, it never was.
