A slice of plural culture
In the multiplicity community, someone posted an entry entitled Plural-envy? Multiple Pride? I don't get it. He talks about a girl he's involved with who has expressed envy at a multiple's ability to "go away" and let someone else takes over, and near the end he writes:
I just don't understand how people think that not having something as basic as your own body that you don't have to share is a GOOD thing. I can sort of see it from the perspective of the uneducated singlet or whatever, but many of you seem so proud to be part of a system that if you had the opportunity to have your own body by some miracle of science or divine intervention, you'd pass it up. I understand wanting to deal with this and have a healthy system with open communication - but why is multiplicity ever cast in as positive of a light as it is?.
I think the whole thread is worth reading, but if you'd rather just hear the Link system's take on it... here you go. :)
The only hint of enviousness I've ever heard from other people is for the escapist aspect of being the sort of multiple where those who don't front can just "go away" for a while--even for several months or years, if they choose. What such singlets may not understand is that we don't always control this, and it can be used in an unhealthy way, sometimes at the expense of your fellow headmates.
While this has its advantages, having to share a life with a myriad of others is often tiring and draining and frustrating. There is a lot of compromise involved. And there are many among us who don't front because they loathe the idea of having to share a body and life with others. (They have a definite presence and identity, but shun fronting.) Still, if we were offered the chance of having our own bodies, we would hesitate before accepting.
Like others have said, it's the closeness factor. In addition, we learn from each other in ways that would not work without the mental link. Ideally, we'd like to have our own bodies with the option of mentally going to a shared otherspace. :)
I just don't understand how people think that not having something as basic as your own body that you don't have to share is a GOOD thing. I can sort of see it from the perspective of the uneducated singlet or whatever, but many of you seem so proud to be part of a system that if you had the opportunity to have your own body by some miracle of science or divine intervention, you'd pass it up. I understand wanting to deal with this and have a healthy system with open communication - but why is multiplicity ever cast in as positive of a light as it is?.
I think the whole thread is worth reading, but if you'd rather just hear the Link system's take on it... here you go. :)
The only hint of enviousness I've ever heard from other people is for the escapist aspect of being the sort of multiple where those who don't front can just "go away" for a while--even for several months or years, if they choose. What such singlets may not understand is that we don't always control this, and it can be used in an unhealthy way, sometimes at the expense of your fellow headmates.
While this has its advantages, having to share a life with a myriad of others is often tiring and draining and frustrating. There is a lot of compromise involved. And there are many among us who don't front because they loathe the idea of having to share a body and life with others. (They have a definite presence and identity, but shun fronting.) Still, if we were offered the chance of having our own bodies, we would hesitate before accepting.
Like others have said, it's the closeness factor. In addition, we learn from each other in ways that would not work without the mental link. Ideally, we'd like to have our own bodies with the option of mentally going to a shared otherspace. :)