My mother also worked in a mostly-male field (programming) from the '60s on forward. She rebuffed people too in the same way that you are talking about -- it wa

My mother also worked in a mostly-male field (programming) from the '60s on forward. She rebuffed people too in the same way that you are talking about -- it was the only way to survive as a female programmer at her company (she worked at the same company for her entire career). She was strong and didn't take bullshit from guys. But over time she told me that it really wore her down and made her feel negatively about work. Even if people were stronger historically, it didn't mean that the environment was ok, or that it didn't really bother them.