4 ms·
The problem is much broader in society today. This is just my opinion, but I think we've become so sensitive to romantic advances that people subconsciously ass
by Overtonwindow 10y ago
The problem is much broader in society today. This is just my opinion, but I think we've become so sensitive to romantic advances that people subconsciously assume that when the opposite sex speaks to them it is for romantic or sexual reasons. I don't disagree that sexism exists, nor any of the concerns with sexism and sexual harassment. However I do think people have become conditioned to assume things that predispose them to negative reactions to others.
- beat 10y agoAnd that's where compassion comes in - we need to recognize that women are conditioned to expect men to be hitting on them (and oblivious to resistance), and why they're conditioned (because men actually do hit on them all the time and are oblivious to resistance), and respect that. Whining about how unfair it is that "Nice guys like myself get lumped in with all those jerks" is disrespectful and uncompassionate. It's not about you! You know that thing where other not-nice guys have conditioned women to be cautious? The next moves in that game are insults, name-calling, public humiliation, physical assault/rape, stalking, doxing, etc. Every woman - every woman - has experienced these behaviors themselves, or knows women who have experienced them. Every man knows women who've experienced them too, although many men don't realize it. That stranger asking a woman for her name, where she's from, trying to make social links online, etc... how is she to know that stranger won't be cyberstalking her and showing up at her home later? Because women have good reason to fear that.