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
Mutual = Together
Exclusive = Excluding the other item
I think the best way to dissect the phrase is:
The two items together [mutually] exclude/contradict each other [exclusive].
The phrase is usually used when talking about a sentence that doesn’t make sense because it is internally contradictory.
If I say “this room is too hot and too cold.”
then I have stated two things about the room:
1) it is too hot
2) it is too cold
Saying it’s too hot contradicts [excludes] saying it’s too cold.
Saying it’s too cold contradicts [excludes] saying it’s too hot.
Because you have put these two statements together [mutually], your whole statement about the room does not make sense.
Latest Answers