Guys, Girls and Gender roles

June 24, 2008, 6:12 AM

I had been wondering for a little while for the difference between guys and girls. I learned from my dad and various while albiet with a few physical differences, the real difference between guys and girls is in their emotions. Girls are more social and emotional while guys are more stoic and logical but from what I am seeing on t.v., reading from books and real life experiences I keep seeing otherwise. I guess I am just generalizing some matters on the whole topic but I see that some people are toying with gender roles and values and challening long held ideas about guys and girls but me well, I do believe that the real difference between guys and girls is in the way they do things. Any thoughts or opinions on this?

June 24, 2008, 6:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guernsey

while guys are more stoic and logical

ohhhh Eryth and Angelus are going to rip you apart.
Men and women are equal when it comes to intelligence and reasoning capabilities. In the 19th century it was the conventional wisdom that men were smarter, more logical and rational and even 'better' than women. But thankfully society has moved on. As you said, it's a generalisation, which are highly inaccurate and pointless, as generalisations aren't indicative of a decent percentage of the group you are stereotyping.

However women do have more emotional receptors than men, women have 20 and men have 5. Also women are more likely to over analyse things. But, some men over analyse things more than women.
There are obvious physical differences between guys and girls, which has lead to social conditioning. Boys when growing up play sport, girls are given barbies to play with.
The media and toy companies reinforce this message that girls should be concerned with their appearance and that they should be motherly. Girls get baby toys that they have to look after, and on TV shows for children the girls are always the gentle ones; looking after their younger siblings or telling the guys to stop fighting. It reinforces the idea that they should be gentle and kind etc.
Also look at the shows marketed for girls, they get shitty shows like bratz or shitty shows about ponies and unicorns. Guys get Dragon Ball Z.

I suppose that there are fundamental differences between men and women that shape the roles that they have. But to what extent is impossible to tell, as society has forced these roles on them and reinforces them through social conditioning.
Furthermore individual people respond differently, there are tomboys and effeminate guys. The only way to describe the differences between the genders would be to contrast stereotypes, which are inaccurate.

June 24, 2008, 8:03 AM

There are obvious physical differences between males and females. However, to say there are intellectual differences is absolutely absurd. Guys are more logical and stoic my ass. You are clearly generalizing and stereotyping. With the exception of the obvious hormonal differences in males and females, I think that the way each gender acts socially is due to social conditioning. Males and females are each raised to behave a certain way. Boys are taught that they can become an astronaut or the president of the country; girls have the Disney Princesses as role models. With such contrasting upbringings, is it any wonder that men and women act differently? It's not all negative, however. I think that society is slowly taking a step in the right direction. Using Disney Princesses again as an example, take a look at the progress society has made with women's roles in the last 70 years or so. Snow White was completely helpless and frail. Sleeping Beauty was equally helpless and spent her time asleep for most of the movie. Cinderella also was very passive about her dismal fate (as a housecleaner, no less). Now look at some of the more recent Disney princesses. Jasmine is still somewhat helpless, but is at least fiesty and attempts to take her fate into her own hands. Mulan rejects the path of a demure bride and instead cross-dresses and leads the entire Chinese imperial army to victory. I'd say those are some much better role models.

But I wouldn't hold celebrations just yet. Clearly there are people who still believe that men are more logical and rational. We still live in a culture that practically focused more on a presidential candidate's gender than on her political stances. We also still live in a culture where there are far fewer top women executives than male executives, and the few females that there are tend to make less money than their male counterparts.

So to sum this up, I believe you're stereotyping, and that kind of crap just leads to ignorance and reinforced gender roles. The real difference between the sexes is that, well, one has a penis and one has a vagina. The end.

June 24, 2008, 8:24 AM

i was just thinking about this a few hours ago... I never understand girls in relationships, or at least in my experiences they all seem to just find another guy and ditch me. It leaves me to assume things about myself then i get a low self esteem. girls seem like they're careless? i've had girls cry when i told them i didnt want to talk to them anymore, then the next thing you know... they're the ones who dump me and never talk to me again. girls are full of shit.

i've noticed through my friends that... when they get into break ups they're depressed as hell and can't get over that girl. then when i see the girl they're exactly the same, as they were when they were going out with my guy friend. its like the break up had no effect. i think girls are full of themselves? or once they get a shot at something big they'll take it. like if a new boy starts talking to them, they will ditch the old boy, and i couldn't see a guy doing that to a girl. most guys at least.

Eryth just got me thinking, girls watch princess movies... and if those are their role models then when they get older they like to have a high status...so when they can hang out with more guys they'll take it. they dont care if it hurts their boyfriend. girls just want to be glamorous or... KNOWN... or what i mean is acknowledged. they want all the attention, you rarely see shy girls as you do shy guys, mainly because girls want to be noticed and thats not really a guys motive. you never see girls going after guys, its the other way around. guys going for girls. girls want to be noticed.

June 24, 2008, 8:38 AM

You know,people move on and I support that in both girls and guys.They won't just cry over someone that dumped them for the rest of their lives.That's how life is.You get into relationships to gain experience not get married.

I think the role the woman today plays is reversed.She's independent financially and emotionally.She can support herself and devotes herself entirely to her job,choosing the path of career rather than family.The same goes with men,they're not looking anymore for a good wife to marry,they prefer having an adventurous and comfortable life.

In a family both parents work and raise their children,not the wife alone like it used to.I'm pretty positive that things have evolved towards the best resulting the equality of both genders but sometimes it has negative effects as well.Today you see many obsessed feminists because there are still obsessed men who don't admit that women are equal to them something that angers them(women) and turns the things the way they are today.And no,I'm not accusing men.It's both genders' fault,men because they don't realize that women can be independent,women because they think too highly of themselves(not all of them) and get offended by anything and then act like b*tches.

June 24, 2008, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atif

In a family both parents work and raise their children,not the wife alone like it used to.I'm pretty positive that things have evolved towards the best resulting the equality of both genders but sometimes it has negative effects as well.Today you see many obsessed feminists because there are still obsessed men who don't admit that women are equal to them something that angers them(women) and turns the things the way they are today.And no,I'm not accusing men.It's both genders' fault,men because they don't realize that women can be independent,women because they think too highly of themselves(not all of them) and get offended by anything and then act like b*tches.

It's not just women who can act like that, men are equally capable of being highly strung and acting like bitches.
It's still harder for women, they have to overcome prejudice to do well, men don't have that problem. Also there is still an expectation that women should stay at home and raise children. It's very hard for a women to be successful at her job and still be a good mother. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it's a compromise really.

Quote:

Eryth just got me thinking, girls watch princess movies... and if those are their role models then when they get older they like to have a high status...so when they can hang out with more guys they'll take it. they dont care if it hurts their boyfriend. girls just want to be glamorous or... KNOWN... or what i mean is acknowledged. they want all the attention, you rarely see shy girls as you do shy guys, mainly because girls want to be noticed and thats not really a guys motive. you never see girls going after guys, its the other way around. guys going for girls. girls want to be noticed.

That's because it's normally guys that ask out girls, I've been asked out by two girls, and I've asked out many more than that. Everyone likes to be noticed, also it's hard to ignore attractive people, the girls that have the most attention are normally the hawt wimminz, not the ugly ones.
There are plently of shy girls as well as shy guys.
I don't think you've really understood the concept of social conditioning, watching movies with princesses as the protagonists does not turn little girls into sluts.

Quote:

and i couldn't see a guy doing that to a girl. most guys at least.

Sadly I know I've been guilty of that, and so have a lot of guys. When you're in a relationship with a chick, have you never thought of any other girl; her hot sister with big tits? Her friend witht he great ass?
Her MILF mother

?
When you've gotten drunk at a party or sometimes when you weren't drunk, you just couldn't resist?
Guys are much worse than girls, most of us always want sex. It's rather unfair to blame women.

Quote:

i've noticed through my friends that... when they get into break ups they're depressed as hell and can't get over that girl. then when i see the girl they're exactly the same, as they were when they were going out with my guy friend

I've been dumped once or twice, and I felt gutted, did I cry my eyes out? No I didn't act differently, people don't like to show pain, as it's associated with weakness.
It's seems you have some bad times with girls, or maybe you've just been dumped. Regardless, they aren't evil creatures who just like to inflict pain on others.

June 24, 2008, 5:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Placebo

Sadly I know I've been guilty of that, and so have a lot of guys. When you're in a relationship with a chick, have you never thought of any other girl; her hot sister with big tits? Her friend witht he great ass?
Her MILF mother

?
When you've gotten drunk at a party or sometimes when you weren't drunk, you just couldn't resist?
Guys are much worse than girls, most of us always want sex. It's rather unfair to blame women.

I laughed so hard at that MILF mother comment with that smiley face.

I know what you mean but, well for example I was in love with this girl (as she was in love with me). While I was in love with her, I was approached by a couple of girls at different occasions at parties who were unbelievably hot and I was flattered they talked to me. I said no to them because I was in love with this girl, who is... not the hottest but thats not what I am going for. The girl i thought I was in love with ended by stabbing me in the back and lol...how does that happen. So maybe only bad things happen to good people. ? thats my story.

June 24, 2008, 6:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 625 Loveless

I laughed so hard at that MILF mother comment with that smiley face.

I know what you mean but, well for example I was in love with this girl (as she was in love with me). While I was in love with her, I was approached by a couple of girls at different occasions at parties who were unbelievably hot and I was flattered they talked to me. I said no to them because I was in love with this girl, who is... not the hottest but thats not what I am going for. The girl i thought I was in love with ended by stabbing me in the back and lol...how does that happen. So maybe only bad things happen to good people. ? thats my story.

Yes, and it's COMPLETELY logical to base your opinion of an entire gender based on the actions of a few individuals.

Basically everything you have said in this and previous posts in this thread is completely ridiculous. Making sweeping generalizations about the female sex based on how a few girls have acted towards you or your friends is ignorant. Basically, you sound like a teenager bawwing because some chick dumped you. Girls are no worse than guys when it comes to using people or breaking hearts. And believe you me, guys can be JUST as bitchy and passive aggressive as girls.