Person ≠ Body

by Bigs and Teens

Ugh. Our first attempt to reply [to a forum post] vanished into cyberspace.

[To new forum member who expressed discomfort with the term "alter":]

Welcome[...]. We hope you like it here.

We use terms like "inside people," "inside family," "system members," "headmates," and "others." We strongly dislike the term "alter" and never use it; we also dislike the term "parts," though not as much.

As a Baby Boomer, we're old enough to remember when "alter" meant "someone less real." This perspective is ingrained in us even though other/younger multiples may see it differently. We tolerate "parts" because we know that individual system members are indeed parts of a collective whole, but we prefer to think of ourselves, first and foremost, as individual persons sharing a body and a life.

We've often said that the mainstream world needs to expand its definition of the word "person." "Person" does not equal "body." In matters of law, yes. But in existential matters, no.