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When talking about your gender identity is there a difference between using comfortable and not uncomfortable?!?!?
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Comments
Connotation
I think that it's a matter of connotation or degree. "Not uncomfortable" is less comfortable than "comfortable" but greater than "uncomfortable". Similarly, we would have "uncommon", "not uncommon", and "common". As far as I know, "not common" is the same as "uncommon", although one might view one as slightly less than the other. I don't know here.
-- Daphne Xu
Re: Connotation
I agree with you on the matter of connotation. There is also a cultural aspect to the connotation.
Some might argue that not comfortable equals uncomfortable, and not uncomfortable equals comfortable.
You mention the progression of uncomfortable → not uncomfortable → comfortable.
I would suggest that the progression of comfortable → not comfortable → not uncomfortable → uncomfortable also makes a lot of sense. In the sense that it goes from Fine to OK to Meh to Bad.
But as I said, the local culture will also have a big say in whether the progression has two, three or four steps. Personally I prefer the four step progression, since it allows me to be more fine grained or nuanced in my expressiveness.
Always
In English, bless the bizarre mishmash of a language, there are always alternatives. In the case you are posing, maybe “resigned” suits? “Accepting,” with various shades that go from reluctance to enthusiasm? “Acquiescent,” if you like a French flavor and additional syllables?
Of course, sometimes true binaries are clarifying. Like the wag who gently suggested that there should be a short, easy-to-understand synonym for “anti-anti-fascist.” :)
— Emma