You know this is a really good analogy, thank you for that perspective.
I guess if it really bothered me, I would just change instance - and I still might, as the association bothers me enough to have mentioned it unprompted.
With that said - the only time someone uses it is when they have nothing else to say, which is a small victory in itself given I doubt I ever say anything that actually justifies the aspersion.
There were a couple years in my teens when I generally wore all black clothes. I was not a goth, even if I was passingly friendly with a few goths.
Many assumed I was a goth, and it never bothered me to correct them. It was a completely understandable assumption to make.
You may not be a goth, but you certainly look like one at a glance.
You know this is a really good analogy, thank you for that perspective.
I guess if it really bothered me, I would just change instance - and I still might, as the association bothers me enough to have mentioned it unprompted.
With that said - the only time someone uses it is when they have nothing else to say, which is a small victory in itself given I doubt I ever say anything that actually justifies the aspersion.