I’m sorry if this seems dumb. I tend to take things literally and “mutual” and “exclusive” seem to be antonyms but mutually exclusive is a term used a lot and it confuses the crap out of me. I’m a native English speaker also.
Does it mean that the two things CAN exist together? I feel like my brain does gymnastics trying to understand the term; I’m not a dumb person but this term just totally eludes me!
Please don’t attack me, just trying to not feel stupid.
In: 49
In this case, “mutually” is referring to the property of exclusivity. The terms “symmetrical” or “reciprocal” would also mean the same thing.
If you can have a soup or a salad with your meal, they are mutually exclusive because choosing each one excludes the possibility of you having the other. Because both of them share a property that is reflective of your ability to also choose the other, that exclusivity is mutual. Hence, mutually exclusive.
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