Is It Sexist To Say...
Why does it offend?
Is it sexist to say that men and women are different? Is someone being a "pig" or a "man hater" because they point out what men are naturally better at, or where a woman excels? The truth of the matter is that it does offend many people. The question is why?
Since the beginning of mankind we have been different. More insane than admitting we are complimentary, rather than identical, is to try to force the idea that we are the same. Pointing out the differences, even celebrating them would seem to be the logical course. Yet here we are, in a world where the very idea that we are not the same is attacked.
This isn't about everyone being born with certain inalienable rights here, this is about the "battle of the sexes" going so far that the idea of peace between the sexes seems unnatural.
Anything you can do I can do better:
Just because you can do something, does that mean you really should be doing it?
Saying "I would rather have a male fire-fighter rescue me from a burning building, not a female." is considered sexist. It ruffles the feathers of quite a few women out there. Mainly the ones who are hell-bent on proving that they are "just as good" as a man.
Let's pick this apart with some science and fact, shall we?
A man and a woman of the same height, same weight, and same training... who's stronger? The man. Why? Because his muscles are different from a woman's. They are created in such a way that they build muscle faster and are able to lift more. Is it sexist? No, it's science.
So is wanting to have the naturally stronger person rescue you in an emergency really sexist?
Men are better at "heavy lifting". Sure, there are some women out there who have worked their tail-feathers off to reach the same threshold, but have you looked at them? I've never seen a woman keep her femininity while trying to "out do" a man. Wouldn't it make more sense to love who you are rather than try to be someone or something you aren't?
Loss of Identity
With the idea that admitting we are different being a sexist thought, everyone suffers. Men and women alike are losing their identities. They don't know anymore what their roll is in life, in society, or in relationships. Trying to act like we're the same is causing more problems, not solutions.
We aren't cookie-cutter copies. Everyone is unique. Some men are naturally more feminine than others, while some women are naturally more masculine. That isn't the focus. The real issue of this article is why so many people are denying their natural state of being just to wage war on the other gender.
Insecurity and fear play a huge part. Looking past the anger into the true feelings of what the hatred is trying to cover up. Why are women afraid to act like women? Why are they so angry at men? Because they have lost their identity and are scared that they will be hurt if they don't protect themselves.
Why are some men so angry at women? Why do they woman-bash or put them down? Because they have lost their identity and are afraid that they no longer have a place in a woman's life or in society.
How can we be ourselves and cherish one another if we don't even remember who we are anymore?
Just because you don't like it, doesn't make it a lie
There are those out there who are so consumed with hatred for the opposite sex, so fueled by the energy of "the war" that they refuse to listen to science or fact. They don't want to believe it is true because then they would be wrong.
Points of fact:
- Men use a different area of the brain to process emotions than a woman.
- Men use a different area of the brain to access mapping and directions than a woman.
- Women access 7 different parts of the brain for speech, men only access 1
- Women can give birth, men can't
- Women can produce milk to feed their infant, men can't
- The bigger the brain the more potential for intelligence in a man, for a woman brain size doesn't matter.
These are not sexist comments, they are facts. Because our brains are made and used differently, we are better/stronger at different things. So why is it that when you go into depth with what these differences mean that people get offended?
A man is naturally better at focus while a woman is naturally better at multitasking. It's because of the way our brains are set up, not because one is better than the other. Sure a man can be taught how to multitask, just as a woman can be trained to focus on a singular thing. I use the word "train" because it isn't as natural of a state. We all have some degree of ability, the difference lies in the natural abilities due to the way our minds are set up.
The Truth will blow your mind
Years ago, I was given the book "Why Gender Matters". My sister knew I loved learning about everything having to do with education so she picked me up a copy.
I was floored to discover just how different we really are. The book was originally intended to help parents and teachers discover the different stages of development in both boys and girls. It's filled with test/case studies and scientific evidence to back up what the author is talking about.
It was a huge eye-opener for me. It helped me understand not only how children learned differently and why, it also helped explain how men and women are different. We can't pretend that we are the same. There are clear, undeniable differences between the two genders. That isn't sexist, it's just reality.