Men And Women: Oh So Different!
Think you know women? Think your man is all that simple? Think again. Sure, some of these are generalizations you may not fit into, but shedding any light on the topic of gender differences can make figuring out your sister in law, boss or stepson a tiny bit easier.
DID YOU KNOW?
1. Whose computer is more likely to be infected with a virus?
2. Who is more likely to be attracted to a sense of humor?
3. Who is more likely to date online?
4. Who remembers more people at high school reunions?
5. Who has better peripheral vision?
6. Who is more likely to reach for a cocktail when stressed?
7. Who has a harder time staying fit as they age?
8. Who eats more meat?
9. Who is better at detecting whether someone is lying?
10. Who has a harder time going to sleep after a fight?
(Answers: 1. Men, 2. Women, 3. Men, 4. Women, 5. Women, 6. Men, 7. Women, 8. Men, 9. Women, 10. Women)
TRUE / FALSE
1. Men are more likely to project their own feelings onto their partners and women are more likely to listen to what their partners are actually saying. True.
2. Men are more likely to dwell in the past and believe that it will repeat itself. False. More women believe that the past is an indicator of the future.
3. When watching erotica, men tend look at the women's faces first, and women first focus on the sex. True.
4. When men cook for women on a date, it actually turns women off because it blurs the line of traditional gender roles in our society. False. Actually in nature, we often see males providing females with food as enticement to mate or as a courting gesture.
5. Wearing too much perfume can signal being down or depressed. True.
6. Men hate chick flicks. False. Deep down, men enjoy chick flicks, just as long as they are "fictitious" (more make believe) because it allowed to them to relax emotional norms and enjoy themselves more.
7. It's harder for women to enjoy themselves in bed if their feet are cold. True.
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If God had meant men and women to be together (s)he would have given them something in common.
Interesting. Can someone please explain why my 18 month old son loves trucks? Just worships them. It is not my wife or my influence, as far as I know - we didn't even know trucks existed before he was born. Maybe a girl would feel the same way, but it is so strange that he is drawn to such a steriotypical "boy thing." That is the extent of my understanding of gender differences.
you have a tv?
I sugest you read "The Female Brain" - its about women, obviously, but one section discusses how girls, when given cars, will nurture them ("Don't worry, little car, you'll be home soon..") while little boys given dolls will stage small wars with them. Same thing with boys using things for weapons whereas girls generally do not gravitate towards this type of physical confrontational play.
Did you know? #1 to #10, the differences are about "intelligence", not men and women.
user168, you read my mind.
Sooooo not true. Women DO have demonstrably better peripheral vision.
I subscribe to the adage "Women never know what men are feeling; men never know what women are thinking."
Actually, men are women are not NATURALLY oh so different, we're merely socialized to be different because of messages such as this. If you've read the research out there on gender differences you would know that these differences are completely exaggerated, and that the differences that are found are minute and can be completely explained by the differences in the way males and females are socialized (e.g. what traits you're SUPPOSED to express, what behaviors you're SUPPOSED to engage in according to your gender).
So of course there are differences, but when people report these differences, such as in this article, nobody mentions that the differences are extremely small. And these differences tend to be explained by evolutionary/biological theories of gender differences, which have not held up in the research. Gender differences are caused mainly by differences in the way men and woman are socialized to behave. Period.
I disagree. That's what we thought in the '60s - '70s. Just don't give little boys gun and little girls Easy Bake ovens and we'd all be the same. Most women who have children of both sex say they could tell the difference from birth, before socialization can have an effect.
Newer research shows many brain differences from birth. Sure, there are variables along a continuum, just as with sexuality, but our brains are not wired the same. Here's just one report from Science Daily: http://tinyurl.com/5k4koy
I now believe that men & women are of different species. lol.
Thanks for the link, that's a great article.
However, I think your interpretations of the results differ from mine. I'll try to find links to some of the articles I'm about to reference, but to summarize, the literature in response to these biological studies is generally of the opinion that just because there's a correlation between gender and the size of these specific areas of the brain does not mean that these differences are completely biologically based. For example, people who lose their sight are shown to experience enhanced ability in other senses because their brains reconfigure and re-allocate those regions to other sensory responsibilities, and presto, better ability emerges. Point is, men are more likely to be given attention in math and the sciences early on in their education as well as through college, therefore men may simply DEVELOP better abilities in these domains simply due to the fact that they are already believed to have a greater propensity for these tasks. Biology does interact with the environment, and cognitive training has been shown repeatedly to be gendered. Even people's genes, which many believe are present and birth and do not change, have actually been shown to change based on environmental influences.
You make a great point, but I think it's important not to imply causal relationships with correlational data.
Men and women are just two halves searching for the other half, that makes up one being. Lists such as this are stereo-typical, at best!
beautifully said.
Thank you very much.
The trouble with all these man or women tests is that behaviorally men and women are two overlapped bell curves of characteristics. Every time you put a line and say, left is manly, right is feminine, you get it wrong for a whole bunch of men and women.
Great article and some pretty thought-provoking comments!
I believe men and women are far more similar than different. That stated, I find our differences (besides the obvious physical ones) to be wonderful; I can't imagine a more boring (and hellish) world than one full of just men. This gent finds women friends far more insightful, challenging and honest than men, or maybe I am just more open with lady friends? As I age (now 57), I believe that perceived differences between men-women lessen, and it involves a lot more than decreases in man's libido. I believe our life experiences bring us together. Do others feel similar?
PS Am I the only reader who becomes frustrated by results that lack quantification?
BUT... BUT I'm a WOMAN and I HATE chickflicks!!!!
Same here. But then again sometimes it's hard to define what a chick flick is. I've heard guys call "The English Patient" a chick flick and it's certainy one of my all-time favourites. But if you're talking about "Sex and the City", "27 Dresses", "The Devil Wears Prada" ad similar trash, then yes, I definitely can't stand them...
I have often heard people (men AND women alike) place "the English Patient", along with similar films like "Atonement" or "The End of The Affair", in the category of "Chick Flick". I never have understood this, as all three films I mentioned are simply book-to-film adaptations with elements of historical romance. I love all three films, am male, and pale at the thought of a cinematic acheivement such as "The English Patient" being unfairly associated with brainless, vulgar, exploitative tripe like "Sex and the City". There is no comparison.
Wow this is not representative of me or my husband.
I am physically fit and within ten lbs of what I was 20 years ago. I walk and run 20-25 miles per week. My husband is 40 lbs overweight and does not exercise besides napping on the couch.
HE is the one who continuously brings up things from the past 15 years ago even. I keep bringing up the fact that we are living NOW and let's make the most of it. It is painful to keep going over things from the past that bring us pain; I don't understand why people keep picking at the wound so it will NEVER heal. I rather be here NOW and be happy.
This men/women thing does not seem to apply. Also, if we argue, my husband cannot sleep well at all; neither can I for that matter.
OK.
11. Who is more likely to confuse anecdotes and statistics?
I got 100% on the first section. In the second section I deny number six and find seven weird. I have some questions about number three. Women go straight for the genitals? I think it's 50/50 for men on going to the face to going to the genitals.
"Whose computer is more likely to be infected with a virus? Men."
Figures: single men are big slobs and their computers are as ridiculously neglected as their bedrooms... ;)
no -- it is because men go to porn sites and download porn. this question was the easiest...
I hadn't thought about that. Makes perfect sense.
Single men? Guys don't stop surfing porn sites just because they're married.
I hadn't thought about the porn. I'm still assuming no self-respecting woman would ever want to live in the filth and chaos of the average single straight guy's home/flat...
There are differences. There are similarities. I am a woman who has a very feminine physique. Yet, I have very STRONG masculine energy and tendencies. I am attracted to both sexes. My partner is trans-gendered. I believe that observations like the one above tend to perpetuate stereotypes to a degree. I would rather read a study that has more to say about this topic than a simple gleaning of who falls asleep faster after an argument. We all live on a spectrum of gender identity and physiology. Yes, there are truths to chemistry and physiology but even in the biological realm there is a spectrum. And don't forget socialization.
I think the most interesting out of all of these is #2 in the true/false. I thinka follow-up question to that would be: who is more likely to repeat the same mistakes over and over? Is it men, because they think each situation is an anomaly and therefore unconsciously repeats the same patterns, or women, because they dwell so much on past mistakes that they end up recreated the same scenarios over and over?
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