What if we could swap sexes at will?

[Coidzor]

Well, would you rather have the concept of sexes and all the crap that comes with them, or would you rather have a cure for all ills and a kitty/dog/ferret?

Trading the ability to perpetuate the species for long lives of stagnation and the eventual extinction of the species doesn't particularly appeal to me, no.

And I've had cats, dogs, and ferrets. As much as I love my pooch, I'm not giving up the capacity to have sexual intercourse for him. As for cats? Pfah!

[SiuiS]

People who don't like cats confuse me, until I remember they probably aren't themselves catlike enough.

The first time you pin a cat to the ground with your teeth while growling because they peed in the wrong spot, they'll learn.

[MikelaC1]

Im quite happy with my sex being the way it is, and wouldn't be intrigued to change. People who would, I think, don't realize there are just as many down sides to being the other sex, they just haven't experienced them.

[SiuiS]

I think you misunderstand how easily other viewpoints deal with downsides.

I'm a sensualist. The idea of having a slightly different body just so I can compare how pain feels is intriguing, let alone anything sex specific, or height-shift specific. I think I would spend several hours on a jungle gym just toying with my new center of gravity.

[Coidzor]

The first time you pin a cat to the ground with your teeth while growling because they peed in the wrong spot, they'll learn.

Having to do that isn't exactly selling cats very well. Especially to those with cat allergies who might be able to live with one, but ingesting cat wouldn't do them any favors.

[Remmirath]

I wouldn't think names would be a problem. Likely, if this were common, gendered names would be completely done away with. I've personally never seen the point of that anyhow, and if everybody could switch as they wished, I certainly wouldn't see the point.

My name is gender-neutral anyhow, so even if that didn't change, it wouldn't be a problem for me personally.

I rather doubt that. I'm simply built differently than most women, as are most men. We just tend to be narrower in the hips and wider in the shoulders. What's comfortable and looks good on me is very different than what's comfortable and looks good on most women. My Mom for instance remembers when blue jeans for women were cut exactly like they were for men, and she hated them.

I, on the other hand, am often frustrated by attempting to buy women's clothes, and generally end up wearing men's clothes because they fit me better (so long as I can find small enough sizes). Not to mention the whole ridiculousness of women's jeans and even cargo pants having insufficient pockets to carry things in and insufficiently thick fabric to withstand anything more than walking around. Actually, flimsy material and lack of practicality is an unfortunately common complaint in women's clothes, and if you do happen to be a woman who has narrower hips you're pretty out of luck with women's pants ever fitting you.

I think the best solution would just be to have a wide range of clothing, and not label any of it as male or female, but unfortunately nobody who makes clothing seems to agree with me on that.

[Alad]

Im quite happy with my sex being the way it is, and wouldn't be intrigued to change. People who would, I think, don't realize there are just as many down sides to being the other sex, they just haven't experienced them.

I'm sure there's a degree of grass being greener in there on my part and I'm sure there are downsides I am unaware of. but at the same time I dont like being big tall guy overly. I mean its useful sometimes. But generally? no me no likey

[Proud Tortoise]

Would it be waking up one day and everyone can switch genders or would it be something that's always been? If the latter, I am pretty sure there would be no gender distinction for names.

[inexorabletruth]

There are already several species on earth that can do this when the need arises. Most of them are fish… so it's hard to test what they're thinking, but aside from the obviously nsfw applications to this ability (I personally would switch to a woman at least once to do some jumping jacks, I must admit), I think our entire psyche would change.

First gender identity would be more a matter of strict definition than a connotation of morals, introspection or philosophy. Therefore there'd be no need for sexual identifiers like homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, etc within our own species. But apart from the sexual aspect, it would change society on a much larger scale.

Identification would require two images. Job descriptions could define gender appearance on application. "Seeking qualified waitstaff: must be willing to be female for all shifts."

Or it could create a system of complete androgyny within our culture. Clothing would be designed for a more generic body type, and would be more flexible, or perhaps baggy to accommodate a midday gender shift. Maybe we'd all be wearing a lot more spandex… hmm.

Regardless, I don't think we'd be as fixated on a gender binary. I don't imagine that switching back and forth from female to male would dramatically change our musculature though, just the reproductive organs and their respective functionality. So, I think a lot more of us are going to look either slender and androgynous, or oddly disproportion from our current standardized gender-specific images.

Product marketing in general would change its nature. Instead of breaking target markets down by gender, it would have to market more towards gender flexibility or gender neutrality. Products engineered for "manly men" or "girly girls" would be special ordered or aftermarket products instead of mainstream products.

I think it would even effect architecture. During certain periods throughout even the last few centuries, there's been an obvious gender preference in architecture. Up until the mid 20th century many structures in western culture were designed to represent the curves and highlights represented in feminine beauty. But as the women's lib movement started making a more significant impact in the workforce, especially during WW2, structures started taking on a more phallic look. I can't imagine what we'd emphasize in architecture if gender less a matter of identity than a matter of convenience. I doubt we'd go with "the most practical, emotionless, gender equal structure" because I don't think being gender-flexible would eliminate creativity or a love of beauty. But I'm not sure what aesthetic we would attempt to represent in our civil structures.

Regardless, I doubt gender flexibility would advance society, because there's no evidence that it has in any other hermaphroditic species. It would however redefine matters of identity and sexual morality… not to mention procreation. For instance, could a female, in order to prevent pregnancy, quickly change in a male after sex?

[MikelaC1]

There are already several species on earth that can do this when the need arises. Most of them are fish

An interesting fact. All clown fish (Nemo type) are born as males. The largest one from any brood (clown fish do not lay the hundreds of eggs portrayed in the movie) then transforms into female.

[Killer Angel]

People who don't like cats confuse me, until I remember they probably aren't themselves catlike enough.

We all know that people who don't like cats, were probably mice in an earlier life.

[MikelaC1]

People who don't like cats confuse me, until I remember they probably aren't themselves catlike enough..

People who don't like cats know that dogs are better than cats. If there is a fire in your home, the dog will be running around and barking, trying to get your family awake and out to safety. The cat, on the other hand, will be sneaking out the back door with the money.

[Kalmageddon]

People who don't like cats know that dogs are better than cats. If there is a fire in your home, the dog will be running around and barking, trying to get your family awake and out to safety. The cat, on the other hand, will be sneaking out the back door with the money.

There are fire alarms these days.
And cats are the most beautiful creatures in the whole universe and beyond, just pointing that out for those that haven't realized yet.

[warty goblin]

It's not that I a priori dislike cats, it's just that every cat I've ever lived with has been some variety of horrible. Now I've had some unfortunate dogs as well, but they at least gave a damn about us.

[Coidzor]

We all know that people who don't like cats, were probably mice in an earlier life.

People who don't like cats have learned they don't like cats over a long life full of cats that died too quickly, cats that lingered on and wouldn't die when it was their time to go, and cats that were bloody-minded little bastards that turned on their masters despite having received good care, upbringing, and socialization.

But that's neither here nor there.

[Alad]

I like my mums cat well enough, until I find it playing with the corpse of a juvinile woodpecker it killed.
I like my dads cat well enough, until it mewls constantly when we are eating chicken worse than any dog I have ever met and puts bloody scraches on my arm when I leave it hanging over a chair arm
I like my girlfriends cats well enough, until they Bite my toes at 4 in the morning, and then I have to spend the next 15 minutes preventing it doing the same to her while trying not to wake her myself.

DISCLAIMER: I am a dog person.

[Eldariel]

Cats and dogs are both awesome. And ferrets too. I dunno why anyone would pick one or the other or one group or the other; all of them have their charms. I can respect hyperactive loyal creatures as well as calm selfish ones.

[Proud Tortoise]

Cats and dogs are both awesome. And ferrets too. I dunno why anyone would pick one or the other or one group or the other; all of them have their charms. I can respect hyperactive loyal creatures as well as calm selfish ones.

Yeah! I prefer dogs because they are, on average, more predictable. I hate when cats are acting perfectly content to be petted and then scratch you because they suddenly decided they were tired of being petted. But not all cats do that, and on the whole cats are pretty great.

...wait, why does it say "Re: What if we could swap sexes at will?" in the Title line? 38P

[dehro]

I like dogs more than cats, as a rule. Cats however seem to go along very well with me, for some obscure reason.

Can we go back to talking about boobies now?

[Coidzor]

Well, the long and short of it is that I wouldn't trade human reproduction, recreational sex, and pair(+)bonding for a pet, even if it meant I wasn't going to ever get another cold or die from cancer or heart disease.

Dead is still dead, and extinct is still extinct, whether from old age, disease, accident, or violence.

...wait, why does it say "Re: What if we could swap sexes at will?" in the Title line? 38P

Because each post is a reply to the original title. Or if someone changes the title in their post, any replies to that post become Re: Whatever.

[Proud Tortoise]

Because each post is a reply to the original title. Or if someone changes the title in their post, any replies to that post become Re: Whatever.

It was a joke. Because we got totally off-topic.

[Bulldog Psion]

It would certainly change human perspectives. For myself, I think I'd stay male. I don't see anything to gain by changing if I'm comfortable this way. But I think that overall, it would be a benefit for humanity.

[TaiLiu]

But what if I'm not an international woman? Do I have to give up being an American?

I'm afraid so. Now, hand in your highly American passport...

How would this let you avoid conscription? If everyone could do it, EVERYONE could be conscripted. If muscle mass and everything changed it would be like "well we're going to war, everyone turn into their more muscular form and grab a gun".

In Russia, barring certain circumstances, all male humans have to serve in the military for a set amount of time - war or no war.

[warty goblin]

I like my mums cat well enough, until I find it playing with the corpse of a juvinile woodpecker it killed.

When it comes to playing with corpses, you can't really diss cats for it more than dogs. Most of the dogs we've had can keen a decent bit of offal kicking around the yard for weeks while it develops fascinating new odors. Cats'll lose interest pretty fast in my experience.

[SiuiS]

People who don't like cats know that dogs are better than cats. If there is a fire in your home, the dog will be running around and barking, trying to get your family awake and out to safety. The cat, on the other hand, will be sneaking out the back door with the money.

Pfff. That only works if you're not the alpha cat.
But if you're not, god help you.

It's not that I a priori dislike cats, it's just that every cat I've ever lived with has been some variety of horrible. Now I've had some unfortunate dogs as well, but they at least gave a damn about us.

I have never seen a pet cat that was taken care of who didn't love it's people, honestly. Cats have funny ways of showing it, but it's there.

People who don't like cats have learned they don't like cats over a long life full of cats that died too quickly, cats that lingered on and wouldn't die when it was their time to go, and cats that were bloody-minded little bastards that turned on their masters despite having received good care, upbringing, and socialization.

But that's neither here nor there.

Life in microcosm. Well spoke.

Cats and dogs are both awesome. And ferrets too. I dunno why anyone would pick one or the other or one group or the other; all of them have their charms. I can respect hyperactive loyal creatures as well as calm selfish ones.

Calm & selfish can apply to dogs and loyal & hyperactive to cats, too.

Yeah! I prefer dogs because they are, on average, more predictable. I hate when cats are acting perfectly content to be petted and then scratch you because they suddenly decided they were tired of being petted. But not all cats do that, and on the whole cats are pretty great.

...wait, why does it say "Re: What if we could swap sexes at will?" in the Title line? 38P

Oh, please. The question was answered in the first three posts. Everything else has been for my amusement.
If you've got a problem with that, you could always shift to Lumberjack form and we could go at it, as is only societally proper. u_u

In Russia, barring certain circumstances, all male humans have to serve in the military for a set amount of time - war or no war.

And if everyone is male on comand, EVERYONE does this. "But I'm a woman!" "Well, shift over and be quick about it!" Etc.,

[dehro]

When it comes to playing with corpses, you can't really diss cats for it more than dogs. Most of the dogs we've had can keen a decent bit of offal kicking around the yard for weeks while it develops fascinating new odors. Cats'll lose interest pretty fast in my experience.

I don't know why but this post conjured up a mental image of you in a field full of dead cats and dogs in various stages of decomposition, walking around, occasionally sniffling and taking notes on your clipboard

[warty goblin]

I don't know why but this post conjured up a mental image of you in a field full of dead cats and dogs in various stages of decomposition, walking around, occasionally sniffling and taking notes on your clipboard

You know, I used to have a cat skull. It was the pride of my skull collection, because my sister didn't have one. My sister at this time would decapitate the corpses of various woodland creatures she found, put the head in a container, and tape that to a tree for the insects to work over.

We had unusual childhoods. My parents try to deny it, I point out I'm the only person I have ever met who had a literal dead rat and a string to swing it with.

[SiuiS]

Nice! I could never find anything dead and intact enough to keep

I plan on maybe doing this with my pets, though. Keep them with me after they die, reminisce about our fond times together~

No trees for jars, though, wouldn't work around here. I'd have to just keep their wee kitty heads at a hard boil until all the tissue sloughed off, and hope I didn't damage the bone too much. And then do something about the smell.

Maybe I need a better plan?

[banthesun]

Well, would you rather have the concept of sexes and all the crap that comes with them, or would you rather have a cure for all ills and a kitty/dog/ferret?

I'm willing to trade one sex for the cure to all ills, but I think I'd rather keep one rather than get a pet. Wait, are penguins a possibility? I might have to change my answer.

It's not that I a priori dislike cats, it's just that every cat I've ever lived with has been some variety of horrible. Now I've had some unfortunate dogs as well, but they at least gave a damn about us.

It seems you have mainly experienced evil cats. Have you thought about trying stupid cats? It's all the fun of a kitten, but you don't have to worry about how they'll be when they're grown up.

And if everyone is male on comand, EVERYONE does this. "But I'm a woman!" "Well, shift over and be quick about it!" Etc.,

Now you've got me thinking, if there's no clear distinction between genders, how would soldiers disguise themselves as washerwomen to sneak into castles? Not to mention we wouldn't have Mulan (or if we did, a certain song would be significantly shorter)

I think it would even effect architecture. During certain periods throughout even the last few centuries, there's been an obvious gender preference in architecture. Up until the mid 20th century many structures in western culture were designed to represent the curves and highlights represented in feminine beauty. But as the women's lib movement started making a more significant impact in the workforce, especially during WW2, structures started taking on a more phallic look. I can't imagine what we'd emphasize in architecture if gender less a matter of identity than a matter of convenience. I doubt we'd go with "the most practical, emotionless, gender equal structure" because I don't think being gender-flexible would eliminate creativity or a love of beauty. But I'm not sure what aesthetic we would attempt to represent in our civil structures.

I must say, I'm curious as to what you're refering to when you say earlier buildings represented feminine beauty. When I think of historical architecture, I think of colums, towers, and turrets, all as phalic as it comes. The only buildings I can think of with an emphasis on curves or softer forms are post 60s designs.

[warty goblin]

Nice! I could never find anything dead and intact enough to keep

It mostly requires a willingness to put up with some dried skin, a few maggots, and some really remarkable stinks.

No trees for jars, though, wouldn't work around here. I'd have to just keep their wee kitty heads at a hard boil until all the tissue sloughed off, and hope I didn't damage the bone too much. And then do something about the smell.

Maybe I need a better plan?

If you get 'em fresh, the smell shouldn't be too bad. Boiling meat doesn't stink as a rule, though I'm not sure about boiling brain. Fur might smell pretty rank.

Mind, I don't think I have quite the fortitude to start carving the heads off my recently deceased pets. Decapitating animals isn't exactly the world's most pleasant task, even when I've specifically raised them to kill and eat them. When it comes to my faithful companion of the last decade, I'm pretty sure it's not in me to reach for the boning knife. I'll stick with a nice grave out under the willow, thanks.