Originally a comment by Sastra on Brain rot.
If “some women have a penis” does that mean:
1.) There have always been some women who have a penis, but we only now realize this because of new discoveries in science.
2.) There have always been some women who have a penis, but we only now admit this because of new sensitivities to human rights.
3.) Women-with-a-penis is a totally new thing, the result of advances in medical science.
4.) Women-with-a-penis is a totally new thing, the result of advances in human rights.
My guess is that people who believe “some women have a penis” would dearly love to say it’s #1, mostly push #2, and fall back on #3 or #4 if they’re either forced into it, or feel like it ought to help their case on #2.
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3 responses to “Guest post: Four possible meanings”
We should ask this question more often; we should ask it all the time.
[…] Guest post: Four possible meanings […]
Or 5) Something that came along too late for Charles Mackay to include in his excellent book Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds?