System members can come in all forms, shapes, and sizes contrary to the physical body. While the physical body may be limited in what it looks like, a system member may have the ability to present themselves in a variety of shapes internally. Some systems members may be able to change what they look like, while others may be permanently one way for better or for worse. Regardless of form, most systems understand that simply being one way internally does not necessarily mean they are that way physically, and having a form that is unlike the physical body is not a sign of illness. Most explanations for these identities invoke psychological or metaphysical explanations, and can be explained rationally.
Child system members are quite common. Called littles, children in system are often just like children outside of systems, give or take particular traits here and there. They often have the same needs as children, such as needing to be played with and loved, and may lack understanding of adult topics. Due to memory-sharing and guidance from other system members as well as having a physically mature body, some littles can also do tasks that a physical child their age might not be able to manage, such as driving and schoolwork, yet still have a childlike way of thinking and behaving.
It is not uncommon for system members to exhibit different sexual orientations. Some may be heterosexual, while others may be homosexual, asexual, or bisexual. These sexual orientations may initially appear to contradict the physical nature of the body, but these orientations may coincide with the internal gender or sex of the system member and be a fundamental and unchanging part of one's identity. A person who identifies and is seen as a homosexual male within their system may still retain that identity despite their body being physically female. Many systems have members who's gender or sex differs from their physical shared body, and some may identify as transgender due to this.
There are also system members who consider themselves not human, or not entirely human. Such system members may be animals or mythical creatures, plants, robots or inanimate objects, or even creatures never seen or imagined before. Animal or mythical system members may lack human thinking and speech, needing help to get their thoughts across in a verbal way and behaving entirely animal-like, or they may be able to talk and empathize with human beings as if they were one themselves. Mechanical system members may feel as if they should be more precise and apathetic, while plant and object members may feel as if they should be immobile or think in the moment. There are also those who may be in-between these two extremes, or react instinctively as non-humans while while being able to act human when necessary. There are a variety of ways system members with unconventional or non-human forms may present themselves.
Fictives are those who come into a system as a character from modern media. Fictivity is an involuntary identity, and fictives may appear randomly as walk-ins. Due to entering a system with their identity and knowledge of who they are relatively intact, fictives often need time to adjust to the physical world and become accustomed to the system. Their personal history and identity may or may not line up completely with their source, and may or may not have a psychological effect on their current life.
Depending on a system member's relation to the physical body, they may feel dysphoria in varying shades, and discomfort while fronting. Dysphoria is a form of discomfort, distress, or dissatisfaction that sometimes occurs when one's body does not match their internal identity. Those in plural systems may experience dysphoria for their gender, species, or other physical aspects of their body. Dysphoria can be intense or mild depending on the headmate, and may be lessened by doing activities that make the system member feel more like themselves and accepting them for what and who they are.
While the identities of system members may initially seem odd, they are explicable and reasonable. Most plural systems are aware that having an identity that varies from the human body doesn't grant them special privileges or extraordinary powers, yet it's who they are and is an integral part of life for many that should be acknowledged.
Child system members are quite common. Called littles, children in system are often just like children outside of systems, give or take particular traits here and there. They often have the same needs as children, such as needing to be played with and loved, and may lack understanding of adult topics. Due to memory-sharing and guidance from other system members as well as having a physically mature body, some littles can also do tasks that a physical child their age might not be able to manage, such as driving and schoolwork, yet still have a childlike way of thinking and behaving.
It is not uncommon for system members to exhibit different sexual orientations. Some may be heterosexual, while others may be homosexual, asexual, or bisexual. These sexual orientations may initially appear to contradict the physical nature of the body, but these orientations may coincide with the internal gender or sex of the system member and be a fundamental and unchanging part of one's identity. A person who identifies and is seen as a homosexual male within their system may still retain that identity despite their body being physically female. Many systems have members who's gender or sex differs from their physical shared body, and some may identify as transgender due to this.
There are also system members who consider themselves not human, or not entirely human. Such system members may be animals or mythical creatures, plants, robots or inanimate objects, or even creatures never seen or imagined before. Animal or mythical system members may lack human thinking and speech, needing help to get their thoughts across in a verbal way and behaving entirely animal-like, or they may be able to talk and empathize with human beings as if they were one themselves. Mechanical system members may feel as if they should be more precise and apathetic, while plant and object members may feel as if they should be immobile or think in the moment. There are also those who may be in-between these two extremes, or react instinctively as non-humans while while being able to act human when necessary. There are a variety of ways system members with unconventional or non-human forms may present themselves.
Fictives are those who come into a system as a character from modern media. Fictivity is an involuntary identity, and fictives may appear randomly as walk-ins. Due to entering a system with their identity and knowledge of who they are relatively intact, fictives often need time to adjust to the physical world and become accustomed to the system. Their personal history and identity may or may not line up completely with their source, and may or may not have a psychological effect on their current life.
Depending on a system member's relation to the physical body, they may feel dysphoria in varying shades, and discomfort while fronting. Dysphoria is a form of discomfort, distress, or dissatisfaction that sometimes occurs when one's body does not match their internal identity. Those in plural systems may experience dysphoria for their gender, species, or other physical aspects of their body. Dysphoria can be intense or mild depending on the headmate, and may be lessened by doing activities that make the system member feel more like themselves and accepting them for what and who they are.
While the identities of system members may initially seem odd, they are explicable and reasonable. Most plural systems are aware that having an identity that varies from the human body doesn't grant them special privileges or extraordinary powers, yet it's who they are and is an integral part of life for many that should be acknowledged.
