misconceptions and stereotypes

there are many misconceptions and stereotypes regarding plurality that are harmful to the plural community as a whole.

theres an "evil" or "killer" alter
this is one of the most harmful, and common, stereotypes out there. that there is an alter who is some sort of serial killer. that couldn't be further from the truth. the chance of an alter being a serial killer, is about the same as any other person being a serial killer. alters are not inherently evil, and the insinuation that someone who is plural is dangerous is rooted in ableism.
alters can "die"

alters can not 'die'. they can integrate or go dormant, but they can not 'die'. we're not sure where this misconception even came from, but it is simply untrue.

system hopping is the belief that someone from one system can "hop" into another system. this is typically rooted in more spiritual beliefs and people who engage in thoughtforms. for traumagenic systems, system hopping is not possible and is often a controversial subject. it's generally perceived as impossible for endogenic systems as well, but some people say otherwise.

integration/fusion kills alters
integration does not, in fact, kill the alters that integrated. it just merges the personalities of the two alters to create somebody new. they are not truly 'dead'. just different now.
integration/fusion "cures" plurality
final fusion / complete integration is often seen as the end all, be all of therapy and treatment regarding plurality. this is simply untrue. many systems decide they never want to fully integrate or fuse, and rather go for functional plurality, where all alters co-exist and function together.

fiction kin and fictives are the same thing
fictives are very different from the experience of being kin. kinshifts are very different from alters in general. fictives are fictional introjects that're completely different people from the others in the system, while somebody who is fictionkin when in a kinshift is still themselves.

everybody is plural
this is simply not true. the closest to truth this gets, is as children everybody is technically 'plural' as a concrete personality has not been developed. but over time that will change, and a solid identity will form. some people with various different mental illnesses may have subsets of themselves that can seem similar to alters, but it's usually quite different than plurality as a whole.

switching is super obvious
switching can be very dramatic and obvious, but not always. you may not even notice that the system you know has switched unless they outwardly tell you. a lot of plurality, at least in regards of did/osdd, is very covert. it's possible for switches to occur mid sentence without the other person in the conversation noticing in the slightest.

fictives are/are not their source
a fictive is, at the end of the day, a fictional introject. some fictives are nothing like their source, and others are extremely like their source. it's rude to make assumptions about fictives. at the end of the day, a fictive is their own person and it's improper to treat a fictive like just a "character" and not their own person. but some fictives identify heavily with their source and would be very upset if treated like they're not themselves. it's best to ask a fictive their own personal comfort on this manner

everybody has a headspace/inner world
not every system has a headspace or inner world. while most systems do, and it's a common thing talked about, not everybody does. some people are unable to imagine things (aphantasia) and may not have a headspace. and they are just as valid as other systems who do have headspaces.

system resets
system resets are when a system is literally "reset". all current alters get killed off/stop existing and new alters form, starting the system over. this does not happen for osdd/did systems, and it's unsure if possible for endogenic systems. but the concept is generally seen as impossible.

DID , OSDD , Vocab , Roles , Courtesy

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Pub: 10 Aug 2025 08:21 UTC

Edit: 10 Aug 2025 08:27 UTC

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