How do we deal with people who don believe multiplicity exists?
Well, you have two options. You can either a) ignore them or b) try to find out what their specific misconceptions about it are so you can find out if they’re a candidate for An Education. (You can use some of Azu’s Snappy Questions To Stupid Statements here, i.e. “I don’t believe in MPD/DID.” “I’m not sure if I do either. Do you believe in multiplicity?”) Most people who are not multiple themselves have been deluged in media misportrayals and popular ideas. Our suggestion is to at least let ’em know that one can be multiple without having MPD/DID, that multiples can be as stable and functional as any singlet. There are some folks out there who are simply bound and determined to maintain an ignorant worldview, but some are simply misinformed. Be polite. Hand out a brochure or two, if you feel like it. But above all, know when to quit, if the person in question really doesn’t want to open their mind.
