Lindy Hoppin' Linus

Ever have one of those overly philosophical days...or weeks, even? That's been my week. Heavy on the introspection, extra helpings of personal philosophy sessions parading through my thoughts, and double doses of random philosophical musings popping up in mid-train-of-thought.

My favorite from the week?

I was eating lunch on Friday, rockin' to some classic pop music on my iPod, and the phrase gender-neutral came to center stage in my head. I don't remember the train-of-thought leading to it...not even sure I'd be able to adequately draw the map if I did remember...so we'll just move on, shall we?

gender neutral

It's a phrase I hear a lot in today's world. Related to being more gender-equal about things, more PC in the workplace, and also related to certain actions by a given individual of either gender. But, if you think about it...that's all the colloquial use of the phrase. If a word is gender-neutral, it can be used for either sex. If a person is described as "gender-neutral," it could mean that he or she doesn't exhibit the stereotypical traits of either sex.

But think about what "gender neutral" actually, literally, means. Neutral-gendered. Equal-gendered. Does that mean both? Does that mean neither? Is it possible to even be "neither-gendered?" It means that the scales aren't tipped in either direction...neither to the female nor the male side. It's dead-centered between the two genders.

I guess I don't really have anything more profound to say about this phrase than that. It's just an interesting tidbit to ponder. Not necessarily even that deep, I suppose. Just a funny notion...