#covert plurality

[multiplicity-positivity]

Here’s some positivity for systems with covert switches!

Not every system has switches that are obvious with members that behave in unique or distinct ways! Many systems may find that their switches go unnoticed by others, and may even experience switches that the system themselves struggle to detect! There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a covert system or experiencing covert switches - this post is for systems who fit this description!

☘️ Shoutout to systems whose members share the same handwriting, mannerisms, tastes, interests, or tones of voice!

💠 Shoutout to systems with members who look, act, and feel very distinct on the inside, but who appear very similar when fronting!

💙 Shoutout to systems who try to mask their plurality or switch covertly for their own comfort and/or safety!

☘️ Shoutout to systems who have been fakeclaimed in the past due to the covert nature of their system and switches!

💠 Shoutout to those who wish that their system could have more overt switches!

💙 Shoutout to systems who used to have more overt switches, but who became covert suddenly or gradually over time!

☘️ Shoutout to systems working towards final fusion whose switches have become more covert as they work towards their recovery goals!

💠 Shoutout to systems who love the covert way their system functions and have no desire to change the way their plurality presents!

💙 Shoutout to systems who feel isolated or left out of the plural community due to how often overt system experiences are centered, uplifted, or treated as then norm!

☘️ Shoutout to covert systems who regularly don’t notice or realize they’ve switched until afterwards, and to those who don’t notice their switches at all!

💠 Shoutout to covert systems who keep their headmate information private and don’t let outsiders know who’s fronting or when a switch has occurred!

💙 Shoutout to overt systems who sometimes choose to present covertly, and covert systems who sometimes choose to present overtly!

Systems of all origins and experiences can present in all sorts of different ways! If your system is covert, or often presents covertly, we want to remind you that you are real, your plurality is beautiful, and you will always belong as a cherished member of our spaces and the plural community just the way you are. You don’t have to have overt switches or present overtly in order to be recognized as a system worthy of respect and kindness!

Please don’t judge yourself or your system too harshly for the way your plurality presents. Whether your system is covert naturally or by choice, know that we’re rooting for you and wishing you the very best in all that you do! Thanks so much for reading, and have a great day!

[multiplicity-positivity]

Does being multiple have to change anything about the way I live? To be honest I'm not even sure if I am genuinely multiple, or if I'm just broken apart by multiple lifelong traumas in a way unrelated to actual multiplicity, but I wonder if there's even any point to thinking about all this if I cannot even surmise the benefit of wanting to know in the first place.

To be more specific, I don't feel like I'm one singular entity... but I also don't feel like entirely different individuals either. My gender, gender presentation and sexuality all go in waves and so does seemingly my opinion of things. Things I love or dislike flip and switch in outright contradictory waves, and so does opinions on serious matters. It's not a case of information altering my perspective over time, but rather that my brain seems to interpret and process the same things differently depending on the ''headspace'' I'm in for lack of a better term. I've often thought that I must be an inherently empty person lacking any sort of truth or substance, because I don't know how else to explain regularly switching between personas who prefer different names, different presentations and who react to things differently from each other.

Had these things happened with random intervals and without discernible patterns I might not have thought deeper on it, but I can clearly trace the way I perceive parts of my identity aligning in clear and distinct patterns. I've ''named'' these personas after the gender and sexuality they are for the time being until I figure out something better.

Median system and/or parasian are the terms that feel the most fitting to describe what I feel, but I can't help but feel that what I feel is simply less real than what others feel. And since I don't know if I feel at all comfortable with other people in my life being aware of these feelings, is there any point to me figuring it all out?

I'm sorry if this isn't the point of the blog, feel free to ignore this ask if that's the case. I haven't been able to find answers on here or Reddit or elsewhere and I don't know how to really unpack all this by myself.

hey there. we don’t mind these sorts of questions at all and are happy to try and help you understand what you’re going through a bit better.

to answer your first question, no, being multiple doesn’t have to change anything at all about the way you live. you can still be plural and use i/me pronouns, you can still present as a singlet in your daily life, and you are not obligated to clue anyone else in to your multiplicity if you don’t want to. all that is necessary for being multiple is identifying as more than one. that’s it. so as long as that plural framework is beneficial for you, you are more than welcome to use it and you belong in our community and spaces.

also, if you feel like plurality doesn’t really suit you, if you see how others might consider you multiple but you don’t want to use that label for yourself, or if you have any other reason for not wanting to label yourself as a system despite fitting a plural definition… that’s okay too. you don’t have to call yourself plural if you don’t want to, even if others might feel like you are. no one but you gets to define your own multiplicity.

however, you very well could be a median or parasian system, especially if these terms feel right for you. we know it’s easier said than done, but please try not to stress too much about your plurality being “less real” than others. every system is unique, and comparing how your system functions to how other systems’ work will inevitably cause you to notice some big differences. and that’s okay. no two systems are alike, but that shouldn’t invalidate your plurality nor the multiplicity of anyone else.

we’ll go ahead and link our post on dealing with denial in case you may find it useful:

Dealing with Denial 101

We’ve gotten a few asks about dealing with denial as a system, so we wanted to put together a post that we can reference in the future. Den

one thing that ^ post doesn’t talk about, is plural singlets, parasian or median systems, and other systems who may blur the lines between plural and non-plural experience. so let us just say, these folks are still plural. even a little plural still counts as plural. they belong in our spaces and their multiplicity is real, without a doubt.

yes, often the plural community is filled with folks who have fully developed and separated headmates talking about our experiences. these kinds of systems tend to be the loudest in our spaces. but that does not in any way invalidate the experiences of median systems. y’all are still just as plural as we are, and the plural community literally would not be here today without the hard work and dedication of median and midcontinuum systems over the decades.

we’re sorry this got a bit long-winded, but we hope that something here can help put your mind at ease. we hope you can take your time with figuring yourself out, and try not to stress too much about how your experiences compare to others. feel free to reach out to us in the future if you have any other questions about multiplicity and plural life.