Where to find Distinct Categories…
Someone wrote…
I was trying to think of something that really is split into two distinct categories. All I could think of was chess pieces.
What’s your experience?
Posted by Chris on July 23rd, 2011 at 08:00 am
Category: your voice 6 comments »
July 23rd, 2011 at 8:40 am |
All binaries are constructs. We’re pattern making animals. This is a central part of our intelligence: one of these isn’t like the others… We impose the syntax and taxonomy on the universe, based largely on our language. We describe how we perceive things, not what they are. Just science. Just prejudice. Just your imagination and mine.
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July 23rd, 2011 at 3:29 pm |
And even in chess, a black tower and a white tower might have more in common than a white tower and a white horse.
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Anonymous replied:
August 3rd, 2011 at 12:37 am
Ooh. Very thought-provoking.
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July 24th, 2011 at 9:59 pm |
Ahhh, wow, that’s brilliant. Now you’ve got me trying to think of something that honestly is just two separate categories.
I recently got an account with Google+, and it was one of the first times I had the opportunity to fill out a form and be asked my gender, not my sex, have the form before something that isn’t medically important, and have their be an option for “other.” I’ve been trying to think of what I could say to people if they ask me why I chose “other,” (I don’t particularly have any distinct gender identity at the moment, although I’m working on that), and I think I just found what I can say. There really isn’t anything that fits into two categories so neatly and perfectly, and for some reason, it never occurred to me to think of that before. As soon as I read this, my mind went “Surely that’s not the case. Certainly I can think of SOMETHING that fits into two categories other than chess pieces.” But the more I think about it…I really can’t. Thank you so much for putting this out into the world. Somehow, I think this post has helped me more than anything else I’ve seen on this website.
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July 25th, 2011 at 7:50 pm |
Checkers.
@Anonymous: I’m pretty sure that on Google+ you can hide your gender. Someone said it’s in the “about me” section, but I don’t use G+, so I’m not positive.
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July 26th, 2011 at 9:18 am |
Death, life
All, nothing
Me, you
Give, take
Past, future
Light, dark
All binaries are not actually constructs. The gray areas that we choose to perceive in some binaries are, in fact, the constructs.
Half dead, still living
Twilight, still light
Present moment, nonexistent convenience
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