Unfortunately, this dissonance seems very widespread. I think it comes from a very uncomfortable compromise between two divergent perspectives on biological di

Unfortunately, this dissonance seems very widespread. I think it comes from a very uncomfortable compromise between two divergent perspectives on biological differences between men and women. Some people think that innate differences are extremely minor, while others attribute major cognitive and behavior traits to gender. Perspective 1 is appealing to people women admire the amazing things men have done, such as develop a vaccination against polio or smallpox, or splitting the atom, and want to see more participation from women. Perspective 2 is appealing to women who are appalled with the negative things men have done, such as spreading the plague to invade a city or dropping an atomic bomb on a city, and want to believe that women would never do such a thing. So the uncomfortable compromise is that men and women are the same, except for the countless ways in which women are better. Of course, I don't know how much is innate and how much is cultural, but I'm almost certain that the whole "if it's bad, it's innate to men, if it's good, it's just because women have lacked opportunities" is total crap.