Possessions

Using phrases and terms that denote possession of another person – e.g., “my friend,” or “a colleague of mine” – is common practice.

What I’ve observed to be uncommon is reluctance towards use of such phrases and terms.

One may be apt to find it silly, if one were to express “I don’t feel comfortable with referring to you as ‘my friend.’ The fact is—I don’t own you.”

I could get into a philosophical discussion about the idea, that “friends own each other.” In such a discussion, I’d be apt to fixate immediately on the idea that the implications of ownership are variable, dependent on ever-changing circumstances. However, getting into a philosophical discussion is not a goal that I have in the present moment, so I will travel no further on this tangential line.

If I were to have a child in the future, I may consider refraining from referring to them as “my child.”

I’m apt to wonder now about the potential benefits of never claiming ownership over a child I am raising; perhaps it would help the child develop a strong sense of self-agency, as they will be apt to argue that they are not owned by anyone—that they are free? Idk.