Female posters incapable of original thought?

reply to post by KrazyJethro


but not once did you mention inequality...kudos to you

-Kyo

reply to post by KrazyJethro


i suspect the reason why it seems women are irrational so often, that it has actually become a permanent description of their behavior by some men, is due primarily to the lack of data and not irrationality. unless you can prove with some awe-inspiring mathematical truth or something, that women are inherently irrational, i'm gonna chalk it up to incomplete communication .

reply to post by Jenna


To be honest, most of the time I can't even figure out what gender a poster is..... I have made tons of errors assuming a female poster was a male poster. I now keep my pronouns gender neutral.

Sexism is, along with lot's of other "isms" are baggage that are going to be around for a long time. You just have to deal with it in your own personal way till they vanish......which will be generations from now, if ever.

Great thread, Jenna! I haven't read the responses yet, but will after I reply.

Originally posted by Jenna
My focus for this thread though isn’t sexism in general, but the mistaken belief that being female makes someone incapable of original thought and/or incapable of understanding a topic put forth for discussion. What is it that has caused some posters to believe that's true?

It's obvious that women are as capable of original thought as men are. However, during the years of serious oppression, perhaps women DID band together and weren't as aware of their own power of individuality as they are now. And maybe they felt, at one time, that there would be strength in numbers. After all, men did rule the roost, so to speak, and women pretty much followed what the men in their lives wanted. They got used to doing that. But not any more. In the years since "women's liberation", more and more women have claimed their rightful place alongside men and we work as partners.

Why some people still, today, think that women aren't capable of original thought... I have no clue. I think they're wrong though. I don't actually see much of that these days, here on ATS or elsewhere. If I did, you can be sure I'd have something to say abut it.

More importantly, why is it brought up mid-discussion in an attempt to invalidate and demean female posters for doing nothing more than discussing the topic at hand?

That's easy. It's brought up mid-discussion for the same reason that any other distraction is brought up. Because someone is feeling threatened by a reasonable or logical argument and would like to discredit their opponent. It's the same thing as saying:

- You can't speak to US politics because you're Canadian
- You just say that because you're asleep. Wake up!
- Of course YOU would say that. You're a right-wing conservative.

In other words, it's basically a mild ad hominem used to throw off the woman in the discussion, probably because your opponent can't come up with a good argument to what you've said.

But what do I know? I'm just a woman.

Please Refer to the rules of the internet:

Rules

30. There are no girls on the internet

Please move to HOAX.



OP...I don't know...some will always think this...and it is most likely people who think they are always right.

I'm not convinced that anyone (male or female) ever has an "original" thought...and if one does...it is most likely caused by mental illness of some kind...seriously.

To be "smart" and have "original thought"...you have to be kind of crazy. So maybe females should take it as a compliment when someone says that to them j/k.

Don't let it bother you...just use it to your advantage...that is what I do with systems that are unfair. Understand the system, use it, and don't let it get you down. That is just my opinion.

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


I honestly don't know or try to know the sex of the vast majority of posters. If someone gives it away in their posts I don't really think about it in either reading or responding.


A big part of that is from decades of being on the internet with what OutKast eludes to in people can assume whatever role they feel like. I also play on line games (not wow) and see this all the time there too.

[edit on 7-5-2010 by Xtrozero]

Of the various forums I've been on, I notice that more people on ATS are inclined to take cheap shots than other forums. Most people are nice, for the record. I guess because we can talk politics here, it can get heated. Most forums won't allow politics and religious talk.

but I notice way more racist, leftist/rightist, anti-US/Aussie/Canada/UK/etc. digs than sexist remarks. And I would notice as I am a woman.

It's fine. Freedom of speech and all that. I think when people post stuff like that, their posts speak for themselves and I find it pretty hilarious when I do a double take because of some bizarre out of nowhere insult.

I think the funniest posts are when it becomes a back and forth argument of

"I'm an X degree freemason, I'm from [blahblahblah] and I know of the whatever lodge""
'
"No, *I'm* a Y degree freemason, and X degree doesn't exist, I've been to Z place and there's no lodge by that name"

[carry on for 5 pages]

It's like watching 4 year olds arguing over a toy. Just hilarious!

Society is to blame for this. Still, females are raised to think there main goal in life should be marriage and a family. They are also taught that; No one likes a smart girl, Sure you can dress any way you want but it has to look like [enter current fashion] etc. Yes, i know its very stereotypical buts its largely true. They aren't taught to be thinkers, they are taught to have someone else think for them. Of course, a female can't do everything a male can do and vise versa. Some things we are not built to do. There is no such thing as gender equality in this society and i don't think there ever will be.

[edit on 7-5-2010 by ItsAgentScully]

[edit on 7-5-2010 by ItsAgentScully]

For my part, on ATS, I have never received sexist or degrading comments, however I have read some a few rare times.
I think such attacks are more of a defensive nature, when women aggressively put their points across and get the upper hand in a discussion, we may just receive the usual kitchen comments. I think most are only for diverting attention, trolling or trying to be funny.

Having said that there are some who truly believe they know best where women belong. I have nothing against their opinion, we are all entitled to them and free to express them, as long as it is not obvious attacks and harassment of any female poster.

But the other way around is equally true. I know many women, including me, making fun of men with stereotypes (in real life). I know all men aren't lazy, messy etc... But nowadays such remarks are mostly taken in a humorous context and I believe it is a positive thing.

But the attacks have to stop!

erm.. hasnt this already been discussed on ats before? sorry couldnt stop myself.

Originally posted by KyoZero
but not once did you mention inequality...kudos to you

-Kyo

I believe in equality more than practically every woman or feminist I've ever met or read does.

Most women don't want the kind of equality I propose, but it should be there if they truly want equality.

I believe men and women are different, like complimentary cogs, and while they are different and have different strengths and weaknesses, those serve to better our society if treated as equal but different entities.

Equality for all is what I endorse.

Peace
KJ

Originally posted by ItsAgentScully
Society is to blame for this. Still, females are raised to think there main goal in life should be marriage and a family. They are also taught that; No one likes a smart girl

What do you mean society?
Everybody chooses his/her own peers.

It's not society as a whole that tells women how to dress, it's other women. It's not society as a whole who tells women how to expect to be treated, it's other women. It's not society as a whole who tells women what to reach for, it's other women.

@ Jenna

There are a couple of wackos on here that try to dismiss women from certain debates but they are few in number. Most men don't have anything against women being given the opportunity to voice their opinion.

This sort of behavior isn't gender specific though. I have seen numerous posts here were women shared that in their view men are nothing more than walking sperm banks. You can generally find these posts in threads about parental rights.

The reason that it seams that there are more sexist men than women on ATS is simply because the userbase is mostly male.

[edit on 7-5-2010 by Ionut]

Originally posted by undo
i suspect the reason why it seems women are irrational so often, that it has actually become a permanent description of their behavior by some men, is due primarily to the lack of data and not irrationality. unless you can prove with some awe-inspiring mathematical truth or something, that women are inherently irrational, i'm gonna chalk it up to incomplete communication .

I didn't say women are irrational more often. I've been to too many bars and heard too much political banter to think women are the irrational ones.

To clarify, I said that women's emotion (which is irrationality by definition) and their logic are intertwined. They have a much harder time separating the two.

Men are compartmentalized biologically and tend to be either one or the other depending on the situation. Men are less likely to blend the two together, although it can be done if cognizant of this fact.

These are simply differences, not inequalities between gender.

I'd also say that women tend to get involved outside their own lives/communities than men do. Politics, world affairs, etc are (by choice) more ignored by women than by men.

My wife, for example, is as smart as I am (she's a sharp tack), yet she doesn't care about politics, history, philosophy, world affairs, etc. She can easily comprehend it, yet chooses not to.

When she does know about something, however, I find her opinions interesting and insightful, although she contents herself with the matters of her life.

It's said that women have a higher quality of life than men do, and this could be one fact of it.

Peace,
KJ

I had to give you a star and a flag.

You stated your position very well.

I love women. I have a great deal of respect for women.

Have a wonderful life.

reply to post by KrazyJethro


And I will stand by you on that

-Kyo

Crazy...I just noticed this thread after being in another popular thread in which a poster was going out of his way to attack female posters for daring to make comments about war and going so far as to talk about what is between their legs. I'm wondering if your thread was inspired by the same comments I was seeing.

Of course I'm going to take it personally. I'm a female. When one ridicules another female for simply being a female, I'm going to take it personally whether or not the comment was directed at me.

MODS: Am I allowed to directly quote and identify this poster?

edit: mistyped bold tags


[edit on 7-5-2010 by nunya13]

Click here for more information.

how do you turn your dishwasher into a snowblower?

Hand her a shovel.

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Lighten up a bit, if you cant laugh then you really are an unhappy person and should probably stop being so anal, might as well laugh at everything, we arent getting out of this alive.

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I havent noticed any female posts or posts against females that have lesser quality or a biased post. I dunno shrug.

reply to post by Jenna
Seeing the title of your thread, I turned up to bitch you out and complain about yet another flame-baiting prejudice thread on ATS.

Instead, I mostly agree with you. We need more female members on ATS! Those I consider friends are very intelligent, thoughtful and original. A couple of them pick on me from time to time, but I like 'em anyway

I am admitedly a male pig and given the choice i would rather keep my female at home and pregnant with barefeet.
But i am also a realist and i do know there are women who are smarter stronger and faster than i am.
It was not the way i was raised i had a broken home where i rarely saw dad and mom was stuck with the bulk of the day to day duties.
Bottom line we all can do everything just like anybody else just some are better naturally and some have to work at it.
But we all have our pejudices and sometimes they help us and sometimes they work against us. I think the trick is just don't force your personal opinion on anyone.
That being said i need to go to the kitchen and prepare lunch. My hunney will be home soon!!