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The silliest argument I’ve ever had on social media [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-04-24
I’m used to having debates about pronouns, usually it involves the rights of trans people to identify as they wish… a couple of weeks ago I had an argument with a few people, over my use of the pronoun “you”, you read that right, “you”.
Now mind you, I’ve been writing on social media since ICQ was a thing, and this is the first time in however many years that makes that I have been taken to task for using the word “you”. Did you know that if you use the word “you” you are addressing each and every single reader personally? Discovery! They say you learn something new every day, I could have skipped this lesson and still graduated.
Several alternatives to the word “you” were offered to me: Everyone! American! People! It fell to me, to point out that all of these would also include said readers, no? My counter arguments that I wasn’t addressing them personally as I didn’t know any of them, bounced off closed ears. They wanted to be the targets and by God if they had to sashay across my texts to be hit they would!
Now far be it from me to criticized my learned readers who are have developed this fear of the word you, but the pronoun you has two forms, the singular and the plural, and whichever form a writer choses to use, it still doesn’t mean they are addressing you personally, we use names for that or direct communication, not an article, a book, a song etc.… which is addressed to the general public.
When I say you, I can mean you
When I say you, I can mean them
When I say you, I can mean everyone
When I say you, I can mean anyone
When I say you, I can mean no one
When I say you, I can even mean me
That’s why context matters
The phrase “I feel seen” means something in some piece of writing reminded you of yourself. Perhaps that’s why those readers felt my articles were addressed to them directly? Just saying it’s something to think about.
This particular affectation that you’ve developed for the word you, is none of our doing. If a certain piece hits you in a way that seems to indicate a phrase or word was addressed directly to you, I suggest you debate the whys with your mirror, because the connection was made from your own mind for reasons only you know.
Now, I know that silliness is par for the course on social media platforms, but honestly when your argument is that because they used the word “you” a total stranger, whom you’ve never met or spoken to is addressing you personally, even for social media that’s beyond the borders of admissible silliness.
Believe me the day I address you, you will know it. I will tag your handle, write your name, answer under your post, use all sorts of available means to address you directly, in the meantime and until then, just take it for granted that when I say you in my writings I am addressing the public at large or any particular group described elsewhere in said article.
That being said, if something hits you below the belt, my best advice is check under your belt to see what’s hidden under there.
paypal.me/murielvieux to help Haitians families 10$ x donors can go a long way.
#ThePoet - Muriel Vieux – April 24th, 2025, ©All rights reserved
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