It is used in an effort to separate a particular topic, idea, discussion, or group from their own personal identity for the purpose of self-deception, deceiving others, or disunifying oneself from a team, among others.
[2][3][4] Conscious uses of distancing language are often euphemistic in nature in order to downplay or desensitize a loaded topic in an effort to separate the speaker from the subject at hand.
[5] The use of first-person pronouns as a singular ("I", "me", "my", "myself"), and as a plural ("we", "us", "our", "ourselves") indicates a psychological closeness between the speaker and the topic of discussion.
Omitting first-person pronouns suggests the absence of responsibility and identification of the ideas conveyed in the statement.
[7] Consequently, “you” is a common replacement for a first-person pronoun, often to hint at one’s lack of commitment to or interest in a group or organization.