Let's Not Call Tulpas "It"

[Ranger]

Neither Reilyn nor I commented because we figured it was obvious we are all people and people shouldn't be called "it". :P

 

I can think of at least one time "it" might be used in English and not seem strange. For identifying an unknown person. If someone is knocking at a door we can say "Who is it?" but we could also say "Who is there?" or "Who is at the door?" In that context, they are all understood to be interchangeable (though "who is at the door" sounds really formal), and in that case "it" doesn't mean "what object is at the door?" because everyone already knows it's a person. It would be pretty normal for someone nearby to reply, for example, "it should be Jake [at the door]" or "That [person at the door] should be Jake". Assuming context is understood in casual conversation, it might even be shortened to "Probably Jake". The person knocking could might themselves with "It's me" or "It's Jake" or just shorten it to "Jake". Likewise, I think the same phrasing works for phone calls or texts and stuff before the person in question has been identified. *phone vibrates in busy person's pocket* They might think "Who is it now??" or "It might be my boss". Even answering a phone or something, a polite "Hello?" is kind of understood to mean "Who is it?" or "I'm here, please identify yourself".

 

I think when emphasizing a connection more than a person "that" can be used too, ex: *man comes in first place* "Yeah! That's my brother!" *someone insults a person* "That's my sister you are talking about!" Some people even love their cars so much they call an object "Her" or something out of affection.  

 

So here's an interesting question though.. Robots that might be around one day, if they are indistinguishable from people or not, will they always an "it"? Do they become a "he" or "she" if they gain true sentience (and you know, wanna be called he/she). Is self-awareness/sentience the sole thing needed to move some-thing into some-one? "It" into "them/him/her"? Do they have to basically look like a he/she to be called such? Does that mean an object like a  mannequin or sex doll dressed up to look pretty convincingly like a male or female becomes a "he" or "she"?

 

"it" is more on an issue when it's used as a pronoun. Maybe the "who" kind of reduces the harshness of "it" too.

 

If sentient robots decide that they are to be called "he" / "she" then why not. Pretty much any sentient being should be entitled to be respected as "he" / "she" or "they" / "them".

[Spaceman]

I call them "it", because they don't have bodies of their own. There's nothing denegrating about that.

[Apollo Fire]

What if the tulpa takes over the body, does the host become an it? :o 

[Guest Reilyn-Alley]

Spaceman, nobody you meet online is 100% gaurenterd to have a body. Does that mean you call anyone online an it? Would you call someone chatting to you right now an it?

[Redacted System]

We consider the body ours, so technically the four of us all have one; just the same one. I’m sure this is the case for many other systems. And again, calling someone “it” sounds like objectification.

[Apollo Fire]

I think the point of tulpas is that even if they don't have "their own" body, they're still a person so they're not an "it." I've never agreed with the sentiment that tulpas don't have their own body anyway, since they do. It's just a shared one. That should go without saying.

[Lucilyn]

probably just the viewpoint of systems who don't know about/never intend to possess or switch

[Apollo Fire]

I mean, I could get that argument, but tulpas still exist and thrive off the same body. The body has to survive for the tulpa to survive. Even if they don't feel connected to it or whatever, it's still also theirs.

[Ranger]

Even though I possess the body of a woman, I prefer to be addressed as "he". I like to address my host as a "she", but her gender prefrence is inconsistent and doesn't mind being called "he" or "she".

 

While I believe Lucilyn is right that some systems never intending to switch / possess may embrace that thinking, I still disagree with the concept. However, if the Tulpa wants to identify themselves as "it" then that's their preference, but I will find it offensive if people insist on calling me "it" or "she".

 

It's better to call any Tulpa "they/them" if you don't know and ask what you can call them.

[Breloomancer]

The thing about calling a tulpa "it" is that it is just rude. There is no reason why you can't call someome by the pronoun that they prefer. By calling a tulpa "it" when they ask you not to, you are essentially saying that unlike other people, they are not allowed to have a preference over what they are called. By calling a tulpa "it", but not calling other people "it" you are essentially saying that they are less than human