We’re familiar with the phrase “comparing apples and oranges”. The problem with the phrase is that most of the time we aren’t trying to classify all the apples or all the oranges: we’re trying to classify fruit. Which means we think the difference between them doesn’t matter.

But when “fruit” is defined as “red”, crisp texture, or hard black seeds, “fruit” seems indistinguishable from “apple”.

The same goes the other way. It isn’t that we only ever define fruit this way. Sometimes we protect the neutral definition even after discovering it isn’t so neutral.

It isn’t just apples and oranges. And it isn’t just fruit. Sometimes it means dealing with our definitions. Both in their limitations and distortions.

For instance, I personally have little time for people who insist a tomato is a fruit and not a vegetable. Why? Because 1) it requires a strict adherence to what defines a fruit, 2) an inconsistent adherence to what defines a vegetable, and 3) a disinterest in the practical understanding of the two.

Of course it’s annoying. But it’s more than that.

The real reason we argue about what a tomato is has everything to do with taxonomy. It isn’t just a definition in isolation, but how they all fit together.

In other words, it isn’t only about the definition of something as “fruit”. It’s the order that we’ve created to make sense of our world. Which means, we can change that sense.

Which brings us to swim caps

When the International Swimming Federation (FINA) banned the use of swimming caps designed for natural Black hair, they thought they were making a sensible choice based on a fear of competitive advantage. In a sense, they thought they were making a logical assessment for all “fruit”.

Of course, the reason there is even a swim cap today for natural Black hair is because the classic cap was designed for white hair. A cap that, therefore, gives white (and bald) swimmers a natural advantage.

The definition of swim cap was poorly defined and the adherence to that definition does nothing to preserve fairness. It does the opposite.

Hopefully, they will be able to see the problem.