what might have been

All the time it’s such an intriguing thought experiment. I think about how much of who I am is shaped by the expectations, experiences, and social messages tied to the gender I was assigned. If I were born the opposite gender, would I have been encouraged differently? Punished differently? Would I have developed different interests, or reacted differently to the world, or would my core self still be recognisably me?

Some things might remain the same (like certain personality traits or values) but the way those traits were responded to might’ve completely reshaped how they evolved. Maybe I would have felt more or less pressure to hide parts of myself. Maybe I would have taken more risks, or fewer. It’s not just about biology, it’s the whole societal script that comes with it.

And then there’s the really sci-fi angle. The multiverse version of us living out that other reality. It’s kind of comforting and unsettling at the same time to imagine those other versions existing somewhere, making different choices based on different starts.

It’s a great question. Feels like one of those thoughts that’s simple on the surface but opens up into something huge the more you sit with it.

All the time it’s such an intriguing thought experiment. I think about how much of who I am is shaped by the expectations, experiences, and social messages tied to the gender I was assigned. If I were born the opposite gender, would I have been encouraged differently? Punished differently? Would I have developed different interests, or reacted differently to the world, or would my core self still be recognisably me?

Some things might remain the same (like certain personality traits or values) but the way those traits were responded to might’ve completely reshaped how they evolved. Maybe I would have felt more or less pressure to hide parts of myself. Maybe I would have taken more risks, or fewer. It’s not just about biology, it’s the whole societal script that comes with it.

And then there’s the really sci-fi angle. The multiverse version of us living out that other reality. It’s kind of comforting and unsettling at the same time to imagine those other versions existing somewhere, making different choices based on different starts.

It’s a great question. Feels like one of those thoughts that’s simple on the surface but opens up into something huge the more you sit with it.