dark_paradox_21 wrote:

1) Ms. aeb01717, that most certainly IS a generalization of men.

2) Men and women ARE most certainly, biologically different. Not only in the obvious genitalia, "grey" and "white" matter in the brain is distributed differently and women have a different arrangement of rods and cones in the eyes which allow them to see a broader spectrum of colors. When a guy says "purple" and a woman says, "No, its fuchsia" they really are seeing different things. They also have radically different hormonal levels and more pronounced hormone production cycles which visible alter mood. These core differences will alter perceptions, how data is analyzed, social interactions, etc.

3) When male and female animal behavior are compared, no one has a problem. When a brightly colored male bird draws predators away from the nest while the female sits on the eggs, no one calls the birds sexist. When we say the same thing about human men and women, people freak out and call it sexist and imply that the person making the comment is ignorant and biased. There are male and female instinctual behaviors which ARE different. Humans, both male and female, have the intellect necessary to largely override instinctual drives, but they are always a part of us.

4) Most stereotypes exist for a reason. Some are unfair or poorly thought-out. For example, I don't know anyone who doesn't like fried chicken or watermelon (except maybe vegans). Some stereotypes are based on observation and are much more likely to be true. Stereotyping is a necessary part of human behavior. The human brain can only maintain so many distinct emotional relationships. Being able to categorize strangers is a survival instinct which is biologically engrained in all of us.

5) Culture has had a massive influence on the population. For thousands of years women have been the "fairer" sex. Women have largely abstained from wars and battle. Women become mothers and are looked to for caring and guidance. Women who break away from this maternal, reliable image are often harshly labeled "sluts" or "dykes." The US is particularly bad about this. We have four generations of women who grew up with Ken buying Barbie the Malibu beachhouse. The entitlement culture for women in this nation is so deeply engrained that women rarely notice it and men aren't allowed to say it without being branded as "pigs." Add to that the fact that in American culture, the male is expected to pursue the woman 99% of the time. A woman just has to be willing. A man has to have looks, charm, or a fat wallet. Having traveled around the world, I can say from experience that American women are, in general, more selfish, materialistic and short-sighted. My best relationships by far have been with Eastern-European (Romanian) and Japanese women. They can be educated, employed, reliable, support equal rights and still behave as women.

6) There are numerous pseudo-men or man-boys in this world, especially in the US. Entitlement culture and a wealthy nation's lifestyle have led many males to wear flip-flops, get meaningless tattoos, avoid commitment, and in general behave as adolescents well into adulthood. Just 40 years ago, men were expected to register for the draft, fight foreign enemies, and become stable, reliable providers for family. In modern times, most of these man-boys have never even worked in physical labor, or been paid for anything that didn't involve pushing papers or flipping burgers. Yet if they are in shape and have a tattoo, young women tend to fall for them. It is pathetic. When women put out for douche bags, it encourages more men to BE douche bags.

I spent 6 years in the military. I grew up with real martial arts (the kind that teach you how to kill things and defend yourself and your loved ones under real-world conditions, not the kind to earn points, find "enlightenment", adjust one's chi, hug other guys in a ring or any other BS). I grew up in Montana and Arizona knowing how to survive in the wilderness, hunt, fish, and perform first aid. I skipped grades to graduate early, am college educated, and made well more than the US mean household income by the age of 24. I also ran 3 miles four times per week. I went on a first date with a 27 year-old woman and I wanted to look sharp, so I wore a suit and took her to a nice lounge for drinks. She informed me that, "You aren't tough enough. My last boyfriend was a tattoo artist." I have encountered this sort of shallow attitude in 9 out of 10 women I speak with.

In the end, a person should do as they please -- labels are something other people add after the fact. So if you want to avoid these negative stereotypes, try not to fall into them. If you want to be treated well, pick better company.