beeroutwest-blog

[szampers]

Before I was aware of szpd, I referred to it as "the Social Alienation", in caps for the reason that I knew it was more than just social alienation in the conventional sense (and also because I find it funny to capitalize words which aren't supposed to be capitalized). The Social Alienation was the closest term I could find for what was in fact szpd, but since uncapitalized it refers specifically to feeling detached from people, which I do feel a great deal, but it didn't exactly point to other things I felt.

Hence why I used it as a personal umbrella term! Which itself contained two other umbrella terms: "language guilt/dysphoria/repulsion" (I still don't know which one fits best), which in turn contained the umbrella term "linguistic freedom". I feel how I experience szpd is somewhat closely related to language, which will have a more detailed post of its own.

A visual representation of these personal umbrella terms.

The Social Alienation referred to social alienation in the conventional sense, but also to my lack of interest and motivation to interact with others, how conflicted I felt about it and the dread that comes at the thought of interacting with others while knowing it is something essential in life. Ouph. This reeks of szpd. But the Social Alienation did do a good enough job to provide me with something to hold onto.

Aside from that, there's also the language guilt/dysphoria/repulsion/whatever. I feel like a linguistic disaster, more so in the past than I do now fortunately. I loathe interacting with the language that is spoken where I live and was born, though it is supposed to be my second language if not a second first language. Go figure! I suppose I'm rather sensitive to language because when I read it or speak this language, the words simply don't ring nearly as well in my head as certain other languages and that bothers the hell out of me. It's a vicious circle as I keep escaping to other languages while I keep getting worse in this harsh, rough language which my life depends on. This contributes to my lack of a will to speak as well, which is connected to the situational mutism probably.

The linguistic freedom is the dream of overcoming the language guilt. It is the most ideal state I can achieve, which is when I acquire the skill to freely speak my mind in any languages I'm supposed to know without struggling to string words together. Preferably i'd get past the people aversion as well but as long as my sociability is at a functional level that's more than enough for me. I treat this as a "if you aim for the moon and miss you'll land among the stars" kind of thing. Part of the whole thing is being able to accept your limits I suppose.

This would be the new model???? It essentially boils down to issues with people and language. Perhaps the language part should be placed outside of the szpd group but they'll still be hardly separable regardless. Either way, szpd provides a stronger and solid foothold for me than the Social Alienation did. It's no longer as abstract as it had been, but it's become more tangible I think. Good starting point.

[2ulk]

Whether or not you need dysphoria to be trans depends solely on your definition of dysphoria

I’m making this post because quite frankly I’m tired of seeing transmeds/truscum attempt to invalidate a tucute’s gender identity because they are nondysphoric.

The following explains the ideologies of both sides of the dysphoria debate, debunks misunderstandings, and includes sources! It’s a fairly long read but I do think it’s important.

Coming from a previous truscum who actually took the time to listen to tucutes and official sources, the following statements are ✨false✨

If you’re nondysphoric you’re cis

If you’re nondysphoric you’re stealing trans resources

If you’re nondysphoric you’re going to get dysphoria from transitioning

Before we start, let me say, whether or not a person detransitions is not based off of their stance on the dysphoria debate, in fact, I’d think many detransitioners probably transitioned before the debate was big, but don’t take my word for this, it’s how I view the situation. Anyways, people have many personal reasons that they mistook themselves as transgender, and a lot of people suffered from trauma which caused them to accidentally perceive themselves this way!

Where am I getting with this? Many transmeds/truscum use detransitioners as an argument, when this is best defined as propaganda. Honestly? I don’t know the rate of detransitions or their reasons other than what I previously mentioned, but it isn’t our place to be in their business, and either way, detransitioning isn’t bad, or something to criticize, so please stop making it seem like a bad thing!

Okay, now onto the point of this post.

Let’s understand each group’s stance on dysphoria and its defenition.

Truscum/Transmeds believe dysphoria is a necessary experience to be transgender. Truscum/Transmeds typically view gender incongruence as a form of dysphoria or as the same entity as dysphoria.

Tucutes do not believe dysphoria is necessary to be transgender. Tucutes seperate dysphoria and gender incongruence, tucutes believe you need gender incongruence, as it’s the disconnect from one’s gender, however define dysphoria as distress and impairment of daily life.

Of course, from here, views differ, but there are many misunderstandings. Many tucutes believe truscum/transmeds are telling them they have to hate their bodies to be trans, or that they have to be in a constant state of agony/distress. This obviously is not necessary. Whether some truscum/transmeds actually believe that I am unsure, but that’s how tucutes view their argument.

Then, there’s the misunderstanding many truscum/transmeds have where they think tucutes see gender as a choice, where they think tucutes are cis, or where they think tucutes will give themselves dysphoria. This is horrifyingly false, and the only time a tucute would view gender as a choice is if they are severely misinformed.

Many tucutes are dysphoric, however, they understand what nondysphorics mean when they say they do not suffer from dysphoria. Nondysphorics aren’t saying they chose to be trans, they’re saying they suffer from gender incongruence but not distress/impairment. This is why nondysphorics are transgender. Nondysphorics suffer from gender incongruence and are, by truscum/transmed logic dysphoric. This is also why they will not give themselves dysphoria, they are suffering from gender incongruence, they are not cisgender.

In the case a nondysphoric doesn’t feel the need to transition, no matter if they’re a binary gender or nonbinary, this can be due to many personal reasons, but also because you can be comfortable with your body if you do not have physical dysphoria. Many nondysphorics transition socially, because maybe they had social dysphoria, and not bodily dysphoria.

Following that train of thought, any trans person can refer to their sex specific characteristics by name and not be a “tr//nder.” I’m not going to name any, just to avoid any triggers, but some people do think this, and it’s just plain information. Dysphoric or not, someone can refer to their body with whatever words they see fit.

Ah, “tr//nder,” what a nice word to be called (/s). I’ll be censoring it in case it can be a trigger. Many nondysphorics, tucutes, and trans people who use MOGAI gender descriptors use this term, it’s reclamation, it’s not to say that they’re cis, it’s a “I seriously don’t give a crap if you think I’m not actually trans due to whatever reason, because I am, so I’ll rub your “insult” in your face.”

People who reclaim tr//nder are not cis

Finally, we’re nearing the end of this note, so I’ll be supplying sources as to why I’m a transneutralist, as in, I think both sides of the debate have the same base beliefs (I say base beliefs because WOW they sure do branch out from there).

-

Gender incongruence is not classified in the ICD-11 as a mental disorder as a disorder would be distressing or disabling, and distress is not a necessary experience to meet the criteria of gender incongruence. Dysphoria is not mentioned. [x]

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) agrees that a mental disorder is distressing and that incongruence does not have to be distressing. [x]

Here the APA easily says dysphoria is not necessary and that not all transgender individuals seek gender reassignment. [x]

Planned Parenthood does not mention incongruence, and refers to dysphoria as "distress, unhappiness, and anxiety" [x]

Here is the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for gender dysphoria, where they refer to it as incongruence. Distress is not necessary. [x]

The NHS defines Gender Dysphoria as "A sense of unease that a person may have because of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity." It states that it is not a mental illness but people suffering from it may develop mental health problems. [x]

[archiealterhuman]

Alterhuman Terminology

Here’s a huuuuuuuge post of Otherkin, System, Vampiric and other nonhuman terms!

Alterhuman:  Alterhumanity. Having an identity that is not strictly human, doesn't fit the normative human identity or a person that identifies as such.

Nonhuman: Nonhumanity. Having an identity that is nonhuman in some way or a person that identifies as such.

Awakening: Awakened. The time in which an Alterhuman person discovers their identity. You may have multiple awakenings, though some prefer to only use this term to refer to their initial discovery.

Dysphoria: Species Dysphoria. A state of great unease or dissatisfaction. In context, being distressed or uncomfortable by one’s physical species (aka human).

Shift: A phenomenon in which an Alterhumans perception shifts to be more like that of their identity. This is mainly used as an umbrella term for the below shift-types.

Mental Shift: M-Shift. A shift in which one’s mental state changes to become more like their identity. This can include becoming more instinctual for Therians/kin, or it can include taking on the mentality of a fictotype.

Phantom Shift: Ph-Shift. A shift in which one can feel Supernumerary Phantom Limbs.

Supernumerary Phantom Limbs: Phantom Limbs, sometimes Astral limbs. Body parts that are perceived by the brain but do not physically exist. When involuntary, they are usually reflective of the person’s identity. These are easy to deliberately create, however. There is some debate as to whether Phantom Limbs and Astral Limbs are the same.

Sensory Shift: A shift in which one’s senses seemingly change to be closer to that of their Alterhuman identity. This can include enhanced or dulled senses.

Dream Shift: The state of being the entity you identify as in a dream.

Astral Shift: A shift in which one travels to the astral plane and experiences having the body of their identity.

Aural Shift: A shift in which one’s auric field changes to match that of their identity. Many believe that your Alterhumanity is always in your aura, therefore it always expresses your identity.

Bi-Location Shift: A shift in which someone experiences being in another place, possibly another time, as their identity. 

Berserker Shift: A type of Mental shift in which one completely becomes their identity in a mentally. Widely believed to be a sign of Clinical Lycanthropy, people who experience this often are usually encouraged to seek help.

Physical Shift: P-Shift. A shift in which one’s physical body changes to be more like that of their identity. This is widely believed to be impossible–anyone who claims to be able to do such is met with scepticism. No claims of this ability have been proven.

Cameo Shift: A shift that is not of an Alterhumans identity.

Voluntary Shift: A shift that is induced voluntarily.

Involuntary Shift A shift that happens spontaneously, or due to unintentional internal or external stimuli.

Much, MUCH more under the cut! This is so your dashboards aren’t clogged beyond recognition.

Hearthome: A specific location or type of location that a person has a strong emotional connection towards, considering it their ‘home’, despite not having been raised there.

Alternormal: Describing an event or phenomena that is normal for the Alterhuman community, i.e Ph-shifts.

Canon: The time or place a fictional character or species originated from. This could be a movie, TV show, book, etc. Used in this context to describe the memories that may or may not come with one’s fictional identity, e.g. “In my canon…”

AU: Alternate universe.

Greymuzzle: A term describing an older member of the furry, otherkin, therian or generally Alterhuman communities.

Gear: Therian gear, Kin Gear. Items of clothing, accessories, jewellery or something else that is worn to feel closer to their identity or to relieve dysphoria.

Therian: Therianthrope, Therianthropy. Formerly Were. A person who identifies on an integral level as a 'real’ Earthly animal, e.g. a fox, wolf, fish or insect. Therianthropes used to identify as Weres derived from Werewolf. Some still use this term to express their identity.

Paleokin: Paleotherian. A person who identifies on an integral level as an extinct creature.

Phytan: Phytanthrope, Phytanthropy, Plantkin. A person who identifies on an integral level as a plant.

Theriomythic: Theriomythical. A person who identifies on an integral level as a mythical creature e.g. a dragon, but a wild, instinctual or unadvanced one. This identity falls between Therian and Otherkin.

Otherkin: Otherkinity, Otherkind. A person who identifies on an integral level as a nonhuman creature not of this world or commonly seen as myths, e.g. Dragons, Fae or Elves. Also used as an umbrella term to describe Otherkin themselves, Fictionkin and Therians.

Fictionkin: Fictionkinity, formerly Otakukin. A person who identifies on an integral level as an entity from fiction. This includes a species, e.g. a Night Fury, or a specific character, e.g. Sonic the Hedgehog.

Factkin: A widely disputed identity in which one identifies on an integral level as a living person, usually a YouTuber.

Objectkin: A person who identifies on an integral level as an inanimate object of some sort. Usually used by trolls, but some claim to have this identity.

Conceptkin: A person who identifies on an integral level as a concept, such as songkin or emotionkin. Their validity in the community is widely debated.

Kin: A shortened form of Otherkin, often used as an umbrella term for the Otherkin, Therian and Fictionkin communities. Also used as a suffix to explain one’s kintype, e.g. I am dogkin, meaning that you identify as a dog in an Alterhuman sense. Please note: This is not a verb. You do not 'kin’ something.

Nonkin: Someone who is not Otherkin.

Theriotype: Formerly Phenotype or Wereside. Also, Therioside. The animal(s) that a Therian identifies as. E.g. you identify as a wolf, so your theriotype is a wolf.

Kintype: The mythical creature(s) that an Otherkin identifies as. Also used as an umbrella term for Theriotype, Kintype and Fictotype.

Fictotype: Fictiontype. The fictional being(s) that a Fictionkin identifies as.

Polykin: Polytherian. A person that has multiple kintypes.

Cladotherian: A therian that identifies as a whole clade of animals as opposed to a species. E.g. a Cladotherian might be felinekin, including big cats, house cats etc.

Nonshifting: A person with an otherkin identity who does not experience shifts under any condition, but still identifies as non-human.

Conkin: Contherian. A kind of nonshifting otherkin that is constantly shifted into an animal state, with no variation.

Vacillant: Suntherian. A kind of otherkin who constantly experiences their nonhuman side and does not experience shifts. They can, however, experience changes similar to shifts on a sliding scale.

Howl: A term used to describe a gathering of Otherkin, Therians and Fictionkin. This term is used by non-wolves as well, while other groups may decide to use a different noise term, e.g. a hiss, a growl etc.

Clinical Lycanthropy: A mental illness in which one believes they can transform into or physically are a nonhuman entity.

Plural:  Plurality, System. An umbrella term to describe both Median and Multiples experiences.

Singlet: Used to describe one person inhabiting a body/the lack of a system. 

Median: Describes any experience between singlet and multiple. Median systems exist continually being between one person in a body and multiple people.

Multiple System: Multiplicity, Multiple. Describes multiple people within a body. Systems are not inherently Alterhuman but may consider themselves such based on their plurality alone.

DID/OSDD: Formerly MPD. Dissociative Identity Disorder, Otherwise Specified Dissociative Disorder. Dissociative disorders that cause a traumagenic system. Some people claim this is the only 'valid’ way to have a system. DID/OSDD is formed by repeated or severe trauma.

Traumagenic: A system formed by trauma.

Endogenic: Endo, Formerly Natural System. A system not formed by trauma. This may be through Soulbonding, Tulpamancy or other means. Used to be referred to as Natural System but was changed due to implying that Traumagenic systems were unnatural due to their trauma.

Quoigenic: A system that either doesn’t know their origin, doesn’t want to disclose their origin, is unsure of their origin, is a mix of traumagenic and endogenic or a system who doesn’t want to label their origin.

Subsystem: A system within a system.

Host: A being within a system who inhabits the front most of the time. Systems can have no or multiple hosts.

Original: The original inhabitant of a body before it became plural. Some systems do not have an Original.

Headmate: A being within a system.

Headspace: Innerworld, Mindscape, Wonderland. A shared mental space where system members reside while not in the front. Not all systems have a headspace.

Front: Outerworld, Out. The mental space from where a headmate controls the body. When in control, a headmate can be referred to as “fronting” or “in the front”. Also used to describe the space outside of the mind, in contrast to Headspace.

Cofront: Cofronting. Used to refer to two or more system members being in the front at a time.

Co-Conscious: The state of two or more system members being conscious at a time.

Switching: The act of one system member replacing another in the front.

Possession: Shared control of the body. The previous fronter remains connected to the body’s senses, but the new one takes control of a part or of the whole body.

Walk-In: An entity arriving in a body after birth at some point, usually with memories of living another life. They can join the Original as a headmate or can replace them entirely, resulting in a Singlet Walk-In.

Fictive: Fictional Introject. A headmate from a fictional source.

Factive: A headmate derived from an existing person. In traumagenic systems, may be someone who helped them through the trauma or the person/people who caused it.

Age-Slider: A system member whose age jumps or slides.

Little: A system member usually under the age of 10.

Dissociation: Many meanings. Detaching from one’s surroundings in a multitude of ways. Not a plural only experience.

Core: Usually used by traumagenic systems. Also known as the original, the core is considered by some to be the part firstborn to the body.

Alter: Akin to headmate, usually for DID/OSDD systems. Do not call people alters without consent as some find it dehumanising.

Persecutor: Usually used by traumagenic systems. Alters who purposefully harm the body, system, host, core, or other alters, sabotage the system’s goals or healing, or work to assist the system’s abuser(s).

Protector: Usually used by traumagenic systems. Alters who protect the body, system, host, core, or specific alters or groups of alters.

Comforter: Caretaker. Usually used by traumagenic systems. Used to describe an alter that has the role of comforting the body, system, host, core or other specific alters or groups of alters. They can help by aiding emotionally or physically.

Memory Holder: Usually used by traumagenic systems. Usually used by traumagenic systems. Memory holders are alters who hold memories that are usually traumatic in nature so that other alters do not have to be confronted by the memories.

Introject: Introjects are alters who are based off an outside person or figure.

Gatekeeper: Usually used by traumagenic systems. A gatekeeper is an alter who controls switching or access to front, access to inside or certain areas inside, or access to certain alters or memories.

Fragment: Usually used by traumagenic systems. A fragment is an alter that is not fully differentiated or developed. Fragments may exist to carry out a single function or to represent a single idea.

Splitting/Split: Usually used by traumagenic systems. The process by which a system member or singlet splits into two or more members. This is usually caused by trauma and it is debated as to whether it can be achieved by non-traumagenic systems.

Losing Time: Blackout. Refers to a system member going unconscious or otherwise being unable to remember what occurs while another system member fronts.

Soulbond: SB, Bond. A literal bond between souls, akin to the concept of Soulmates or Twin Flames. Also used in a plurality context to describe an external entity in which someone has a mental connection. This can range from being a muse to an actual headmate.

Soulbonder: A person who is connected to one or more soulbonds.

Thoughtform: A term used to describe any manually created headmate, including Tulpas, Daemons and non-sentient entities.

Imaginary Friend: Mental beings with little or no sentience or autonomy, commonly created by children. A type of thoughtform which may accidentally become a Tulpa.

Tulpa: A deliberately created headmate made through forcing over a long period of time.

Tulpamancer: Tulpamage. A person who has created one or more headmates deliberately.

Forcing: The act of focusing on and developing a tulpa’s presence or strength by devoting specific attention to them, or otherwise interacting with them.

Daemian: A person in possession of a daemon. Demian’s are not inherently Alterhuman but there is an overlap.

Daemon: A Thoughtform which serves as a separation/the other half of one’s mental dialogue. It takes the form of an animal-based on the Daemons personality in relation to animal behaviours.

Dissipation: The process of making a thoughtform less conscious over time and fading into nothing. Considered by many to be akin to death and therefore murder if done deliberately.

Imposition: Projection. Hallucinating the presence of a system member in the outerworld. Can range from feeling to seeing them.

Integration: Merging. Used to describe two or more system members combining to form one. Complete integration was once the main goal of 'curing’ multiplicity, but as of late has come under scrutiny due to its nature of not being permanent or not working at all. Many equate Integration to death.

Dormant: Stasis. The state of a headmate being unconscious or dormant. This varies from short-term like 'sleep’ to long-term. Some system members go dormant when they are not in the front, while other times dormancy is deliberate.

Quoiluntary: When one’s identity in terms of “voluntary vs involuntary” parts are fused, or one rejects categorization.

Furry: Furries, Furry Fandom. A subculture based around enjoying anthropomorphic (humanoid) animals. Furries are not Alterhuman, but some may consider themselves as Alterhuman if they identify as their fursona more than their human body. Includes subsections such as scalies, avians etc.

Postfurry: A mixture of the furry fandom and the ideologies of Transhumanism and Posthumanism, with aesthetics of cyber and biopunk, among other factors.

Fursona: An anthropomorphic animal character that is usually used to represent its creator. Some furries identify more with said fursona than their human body which makes them consider themselves as Alterhuman.

Transspecies: Some nonhumans use this label to denote that they have, will or plan to modify their body to more so reflect their identity, usually in order to alleviate dysphoria. Many explain it as feeling as they are (x species) trapped in a human body.

Transhumanism: An ideology centred around transforming humanity with technology. Transhumanists are not inherently Alterhuman, but some people consider themselves Alterhuman because of the way this ideology shapes their perception of humanity.

Xenogender: A gender that cannot be contained by human understandings of gender, usually relating to animals, plants etc. Often used by nonhumans to describe their experiences of gender.

Medusan: An orientation for Alterhuman people who are sexually and/or romantically attracted to other Alterhumans or nonhumans. This can mean monsters, aliens, otherkin etc.

Otherhearted: Animalhearted, Fictionhearted. A person who identifies with or has a strong empathetic connection to an entity. Commonly described as a family-like familiarity.

Heart-type: The entity someone that is Otherhearted identifies with.

Synpath: An entity which someone has a strong empathetic connection to or identifies with. It is debated as to what the difference between having a Synpath and being Otherhearted is.

Otherlink: Copinglink, C'link, Link, Copingkin, Purposelink. A voluntary identity as an entity fictional, animal or mythical. This identity may be accidental but requires a conscious effort to attain. Some adopt this identity to cope with trauma or other struggles, while others have other reasoning or none at all.

Linktype: The entity an Otherlinker identifies as.

Cameotype: Paratype. A character, animal, or mythical being that is not a kintype, but somehow is important and a part of your identity in some way.

Starseed: Individuals who believe they originated from other worlds, dimensions, or planets and is currently living as a human. Many Starseed claim they’re on a mission to save humanity, though explanations vary.

Vampire: Vampirism. An individual who feels the need for blood and/or metaphysical energies in order to maintain proper health and function.

Sanguinarian: Blood Vampire. Feels the need to consume blood to contain health. All feeding is done consensually and as safely as possible.

Psi Vampire: Energy Vampires. Feeds on metaphysical energies of some sort, usually with some sort of emotional connection. All feeding is done consensually and as safely as possible.

Hybrid Vampires: A vampire that needs to feed on both blood and energy or can do both.

Donor: A human or Alterhuman that consensually feeds Vampires with either energy or blood.

Feeding: The act of feeding on blood or energies, done by vampires.

Polymorph: A specific kind of shapeshifting creature, defined by lack of a 'true’ form other than shapeless energy and the habit of subconsciously mimicking the traits of others.

Godshard: A person who considers themselves to be a smaller, independent part of a still-extant god.

Fictionflicker: Flicker. A fictional identity which is temporarily taken on, usually after consuming media which the identity stems from. This usually ends shortly after the media has stopped being consumed.

Draconic: To describe people who identify as Dragons. Most of this old community has merged with the Otherkin community.

Kinnie: A term used to describe Otherkin in a teasing manner, often used by trolls. This term is used among people from Tumblr often as a synonym for Otherkin. 

Antikin: Anti. Used to describe someone who trolls the Therian/Otherkin communities and refuses to listen to information provided about such communities, whilst spreading misinformation themselves.

Fluff: Fluffbunny. Someone who is suspicious or 'fluffy’, usually used in Otherkin communities. A 'fluffy’ person is commonly a person who makes extraordinary claims such as Physical Shifting. This term is falling out of use.

Tumblrkin: A term those in the Otherkin communities outside of Tumblr use to speak of a certain type of Otherkin within Tumblr that are overly fluffy and misinformed, who also usually give a bad name to the community.

Kinsidering: A pun on considering. Used by people from Tumblr to describe the act of questioning if an entity is their kintype. 

Kinfirm: A pun on confirm. Used by people from Tumblr to describe the act of 'confirming’ a kintype. Please note that kintypes cannot be “confirmed” as there is no set-in-stone way to determine if that entity will remain your kintype. 

[lindwurmkai]

Gender: WTF is it?

After many years of research and contemplation, I finally feel like I can say with some confidence that I have formed a stable opinion of what the nebulous concept known as "gender" actually is. So what does it mean to be a man, a woman, a nonbinary gender, several of these, or none? What is gender about, if not stereotypes? I truly believe I can answer that now. :) [Note: we are reinterpreting and refining a flawed social construct here. This is often hard to accomplish using language that already exists, since so many terms have definitions that are themselves based on the old understanding. I'm not interested in arguing semantics. Language is only a tool that we use to communicate abstract ideas, and what matters is that we reach an accord regarding the ideas themselves. Please try to keep that in mind.] My conclusion is that "gender" is, in fact, a combination of two related but separate things, which it might make sense to split up in the future. For now, people are using "gender" to refer to both of them because it's the only word they have. Neither aspect "deserves" to become the ultimate definition more than the other; they've been used interchangeably for too long. The two components are these: 1) A sense of kinship, siblinghood, sameness, belonging, or whatever you want to call it, in relation to the group(s) of people known as [insert gender or umbrella term here]. The feeling that when you're surrounded by fellow men, women, nonbinary people, or even people of a specific nonbinary gender, you're in the right place - but not in the sense that you like these people more than others. It also has nothing to do with shared personality traits or which traditional gender roles you prefer, if any. Perhaps you're "not like the other ___" and mostly hang out with people of a different gender; that's fine. But are you one of them? Why not? (You don't need to be able to answer.) Not everyone experiences this sense of belonging. If you don't, you may wish to look into agender as a label, but of course there's no need for that if this state of being doesn't affect your life in any way. Just please believe the rest of us when we say it's a thing, because it's definitely real for large parts of the population. 2) The way we feel about the gendered parts of our bodies (gendered as in "associated with a certain gender by society"). Physical gender dysphoria (as opposed to social dysphoria; more on that later) is when gendered body traits cause you distress by simply existing. Many trans people want to change one or more of these traits via hormone therapy and/or surgery to varying degrees. There is a lot more variety here than is commonly known! Now, what people need to realise is that aspects 1 and 2 don't always go together. It's common for them to "match," yes. But there are nonbinary people who have exactly as much dysphoria about the same body parts as a trans man or woman, yet are certain they're nonbinary. There are people who get little to no physical dysphoria at all, but do suffer from social dysphoria. What is social dysphoria? The pain that a trans woman feels when she's called "Sir," the unease that a nonbinary kid feels when their teacher asks the class to split up by gender, the way it hurts to hear yourself referred to with the wrong pronouns or name, and things like being uncomfortable wearing the clothes associated with your assigned gender because they make it more likely everyone will think you're that gender (as opposed to simply disliking the look). Fun fact: some people decide to go through with certain treatments out of social dysphoria alone, even though they were okay with the affected body parts behind closed doors. The possibility of being misgendered less often can be highly enticing because social dysphoria is very painful. That all of the above has been lumped together under "gender" is confusing, I agree. It doesn't have to stay that way; I am merely describing the current state of things.