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Essay: The Importance of Being Real
Dec. 12th, 2020 03:59 pmThe Importance of Being Real
Series: Essay
Summary: “In a search for what was real, I was viewing the masks as untrue, falsehoods layered on top of whoever I was. […] If you release the idea of an essential self, throw it naked into the surf and let the sea carry it away, then everything changes.” --Akwaeke Emezi, “The Mask As The Truest Thing”
Word Count: 3000
Notes: Winner of the Patreon poll this month!
Many plurals obsess over realness. Agonizing over how “real” we are seems to be a common, maybe even necessary part of becoming selves-aware—our old conception of reality and self gets destroyed, so we must build new ones, a terrifying undertaking. Some people come out of the experience with new confidence; others never stop second-guessing themselves. Still others project that insecurity outward; many a plural harassment campaign has been staked on fakery, and while plenty are cynical excuses to badger a target, they wouldn’t build momentum if not for people’s preexisting fears, that lingering specter of the “fake multi.”
But why are we so concerned about fakery? Why does it matter? Let’s talk about it.
( Read more... )
Series: Essay
Summary: “In a search for what was real, I was viewing the masks as untrue, falsehoods layered on top of whoever I was. […] If you release the idea of an essential self, throw it naked into the surf and let the sea carry it away, then everything changes.” --Akwaeke Emezi, “The Mask As The Truest Thing”
Word Count: 3000
Notes: Winner of the Patreon poll this month!
Many plurals obsess over realness. Agonizing over how “real” we are seems to be a common, maybe even necessary part of becoming selves-aware—our old conception of reality and self gets destroyed, so we must build new ones, a terrifying undertaking. Some people come out of the experience with new confidence; others never stop second-guessing themselves. Still others project that insecurity outward; many a plural harassment campaign has been staked on fakery, and while plenty are cynical excuses to badger a target, they wouldn’t build momentum if not for people’s preexisting fears, that lingering specter of the “fake multi.”
But why are we so concerned about fakery? Why does it matter? Let’s talk about it.
( Read more... )
