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
I think my issue comes from the saying “____ are not mutually exclusive”
From what everyone has said I take that to mean that the two things CAN, in fact, exist at the same time? Why not just say that then? Why say that they’re not mutually exclusive when you could just as easily say “these things can totally exist together” or something? Why bring in something that sounds so oxymoronic? I know it’s used a lot for many reasons but I just wish people would say “you can be blonde and smart at and same time” rather than “being blonde and being smart are not mutually exclusive”
I think (hope) I used it right there lol
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