hi! thank you for asking so politely [: it's complicated, but I'll try my best!
a system, in this context, is related to the clinical terms DID and OSDD. (it's a bit more complicated than just that, but I'm simplifying here!)
most people experience one identity and one stream of consciousness. that's you! but sometimes, consciousness is split and shared between multiple separate identities/people/parts. it's a rare but well documented lifelong phenomenon that has been recorded globally!
usually, this occurs due to severe trauma at a young age, but many systems (such as the one I am part of) are able to work through the trauma and have relatively normal lives (i.e. I'm still a member of a system, me and the others can just go through life without major distress or flashbacks at this point! big yay. there are still other symptoms, like dissociation and memory gaps, but they're manageable)
the major consensus between respected professionals in the field of psychology is that individuals within systems are separate from each other, and can have different names, personalities, interests, relationships, etc. this varies, of course, but that's generally what goes on. the brain forms distinct identities to better cope with highly stressful situations, and these individuals become concrete after a certain point. I'm doing REALLY GOOD these days, very happy with my life, and I never stopped being part of a system. again! lifelong, for most people!
repressing this and pretending to all be just one person can be very bad for your mental health if you're part of a system. (ask me how I know. AHH!) and it's best (in most cases! it varies. best to ask!) to treat each member of a system as their own person. it's a small amount of effort to use each person's name, and it makes a WORLD of difference.
you may have come across this concept in fiction before, but it's usually very inaccurate and very poorly represented. systems are often portrayed as scary in horror movies, or our existence is treated like a problem that needs to be fixed. that's not true! we're not scary [: we're just people. there's a lot of stigma, but people like you asking kindly in order to better understand us makes a HUGE difference, so thank you.
it can be tricky to wrap your head around, especially when you're unfamiliar with the concept. to a lot of people, it's hard to believe. I get it. but this really truly is just my normal life! it's cool if you don't understand it. mull it over, if you'd like!
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