Whether or not I believe it to be literal or factual is not relevant, if I can work with what amounts to a personal mythology. (A lot of my own multiplicity is something that I parse as 'personal mythology that works for resolving situations, who cares whether it's factual?'.)
That's closer to what I meant when I said I sometimes encouraged people to work within the context of beliefs I don't necessarily subscribe to. Rather, I tend to assume that they're being honest about having subjectively experienced it this way, regardless of its literal truth. The one thing I caution people against is talking about their subjective experiences too openly, not because I believe there is anything inherently shameful about it, but because this is the kind of thing that can get you locked away (or called names at best).
I've also come across people who come across to me strongly as trying to fit cultural norms. I find this moderately aggravating, but not something I worry about greatly.
Urk. Yes, I've seen several examples of this-- for example, I once recall someone asking how they could 'get more people in their system.' I asked them why they thought that any certain minimum number was required. The answer was along the lines of 'because we made a place inside and we need more people to fill it up with.' Apparently the belief has cropped up somewhere along the line that having more people somehow makes you more 'real,' and/or that you're required to have a 'place inside.'
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2006-03-30 12:21 am (UTC)That's closer to what I meant when I said I sometimes encouraged people to work within the context of beliefs I don't necessarily subscribe to. Rather, I tend to assume that they're being honest about having subjectively experienced it this way, regardless of its literal truth. The one thing I caution people against is talking about their subjective experiences too openly, not because I believe there is anything inherently shameful about it, but because this is the kind of thing that can get you locked away (or called names at best).
I've also come across people who come across to me strongly as trying to fit cultural norms. I find this moderately aggravating, but not something I worry about greatly.
Urk. Yes, I've seen several examples of this-- for example, I once recall someone asking how they could 'get more people in their system.' I asked them why they thought that any certain minimum number was required. The answer was along the lines of 'because we made a place inside and we need more people to fill it up with.' Apparently the belief has cropped up somewhere along the line that having more people somehow makes you more 'real,' and/or that you're required to have a 'place inside.'