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I see that you said "compete". Testosterone has effects on competition, so there could still be bias there. Competitions are overrepresented by people who thin

I see that you said "compete". Testosterone has effects on competition, so there could still be bias there. Competitions are overrepresented by people who think they can win. We are taught that confidence and overconfidence skews male.

gdix 9y ago
So if confidence is a major factor, is it possible that affirmative action affects confidence negatively in the people that it is meant to support?
- lawnchair_larry 9y ago
  I have no idea. Maybe? I wasn't taking a position on the debate either, just pointing out that specific argument could be problematic. Regardless, I'm opposed to affirmative action for many other reasons anyway.
Udik 9y ago
> Testosterone has effects on competition, so there could still be bias there Oh. And that would be a biological, innate difference in behaviour between men and women, wouldn't it? And even if women are as good as men at maths or computer programming- which wouldn't surprise me much- can't they be just less interested in it, just in the same way they're less interested (as you seem to imply) in competition? And could I be as good as the average woman in teaching or as a nurse? Possible. Am I interested in it? No.
- s73ver 9y ago
  But are they less interested just because? Or less interested because of things like Uber?
  - Udik 9y ago
    Because, do you think sitting eight hours a day behind a desk trying to find a way to instruct a machine to do something you already know how to do, is a particularly appealing job? Can you imagine the amount of fulfilling human interactions a nurse has every day in the hours you spend looking at that damn screen? I mean, maybe they don't do it just because they can actually do something better.
    - s73ver 9y ago
      I mean, I clearly do as that is my profession. And I really don't think the decision is between "nurse" and "software engineer".
- lawnchair_larry 9y ago
  I don't know why those are directed at me. I didn't say otherwise!

gdix 9y ago

So if confidence is a major factor, is it possible that affirmative action affects confidence negatively in the people that it is meant to support?

lawnchair_larry 9y ago
I have no idea. Maybe? I wasn't taking a position on the debate either, just pointing out that specific argument could be problematic. Regardless, I'm opposed to affirmative action for many other reasons anyway.

Udik 9y ago

> Testosterone has effects on competition, so there could still be bias there Oh. And that would be a biological, innate difference in behaviour between men and women, wouldn't it? And even if women are as good as men at maths or computer programming- which wouldn't surprise me much- can't they be just less interested in it, just in the same way they're less interested (as you seem to imply) in competition? And could I be as good as the average woman in teaching or as a nurse? Possible. Am I interested in it? No.

s73ver 9y ago
But are they less interested just because? Or less interested because of things like Uber?
- Udik 9y ago
  Because, do you think sitting eight hours a day behind a desk trying to find a way to instruct a machine to do something you already know how to do, is a particularly appealing job? Can you imagine the amount of fulfilling human interactions a nurse has every day in the hours you spend looking at that damn screen? I mean, maybe they don't do it just because they can actually do something better.
  - s73ver 9y ago
    I mean, I clearly do as that is my profession. And I really don't think the decision is between "nurse" and "software engineer".
lawnchair_larry 9y ago
I don't know why those are directed at me. I didn't say otherwise!