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"You" (at least in the English language) is a second-person personal pronoun - it is not a generic pronoun. Generic you is thus an invalid concept which must be relegated to the graveyard of failed language features.
"Generic you" is the employment of the pronoun "you" in cases where the target of that pronoun is not defined. To illustrate this concept, here is an example: "you will notice that these two charts are markedly different". Something along these lines could be found in, say, a typical academic journal. The pronoun "you" is used here to address a potential reader of the journal. The "potential reader" part is important - the author of this imaginary journal is not addressing a specific individual with this phrase. This makes the pronoun "generic", or "indefinite", as it could refer to any given reader of the journal - thus "generic you".
There exist two primary replacements for generic you: the pronoun "one", and opting not to use a pronoun at all.
"One" is a gender-neutral, indefinite pronoun, intended for the very case over which generic you so sloppily attempts to impose its domain. It is derived from "one person", and is used in reference to any given individual. The above example can thus be reformulated as such using "one": "one will notice that these two charts are markedly different". "One" is clean, effective, and designed for this very purpose.
The other aforementioned option is not to use a pronoun at all. With a little bit of work, the English language enables this possibility: "it will be noticed that these two charts are markedly different"; This is the style that I primarily use. The "it" in this example can initially trip those who attempt to employ this option up - what exactly is "it"? The answer is simple: it is. This may appear completely illogical at first, but it is the same "it" that is used in sentences such as "it is raining" - the "it" simply is, and does not refer to any specific thing.
After all of this writing about how to go about replacing generic you, it would most probably be a good idea to address the issues with it. One is a simple matter of clarity - "you" may make assumptions about the person to whom it is referring that may not be true.
Another is that it demonstrates a lack of respect and formality towards readers. The pronoun directly addresses the reader, which a block of text, as has been established in this language, should not do. It may seem strange, but this is a simple thing that to many, myself included, demonstrates a lack of respect towards readers. Many may not care about this, but that does not change the fact that it is bad practice.
I would also like to address something about it that affects me personally, which is what pushed me to write this blog post. I have very low social energy. This is relevant as, thanks to the mysterious ways in which my brain works, the use of the pronoun you depletes my levels of social energy. This means that even the act of reading, which I thouroughly enjoy, can deplete my social energy, leaving me mentally drained. If there is anyone who is not bothered by the above points, I ask them to avoid generic you as a courtesy towards those who are like me, as I am sure that I am not the only one whose brain functions in this particular way.
Generic you needs to go. It is clunky, unfit for its purpose, and has no place in writing. There are alternatives, one of which is a pronoun that predates generic you and is superior to it. It is high time that this invalid usage of the pronoun "you" is sent to the graveyard of failed language constructs.
| July 2024 | (c) 2024 Eris A |