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> There's no "only" implied in "it's a problem in the tech industry". In my opinion lots of folks tend to infer the "only" because it helps them avoid uncomfor

> There's no "only" implied in "it's a problem in the tech industry". In my opinion lots of folks tend to infer the "only" because it helps them avoid uncomfortable thoughts. A similar example is responding to "Black Lives Matter" with "All Lives Matter". Nobody was claiming that all lives shouldn't matter. The claim in the case of BLM is that black lives seem to presently matter less. That claim makes people feel uncomfortable so they subconsciously reframe it into being something unreasonable. In this case, it may be that men in tech can feel better about themselves if this is a universal problem. If men in tech are just "typical guys" that eases the insecurities plenty of us have about being outsiders or social misfits (speaking for myself, obvs). On the other hand if it's a bigger problem in tech than other industries then suddenly those anxieties around other-ness are amplified.

mcculley 9y ago
Yes, my point is that I am not convinced it is a bigger problem than in other industries. That does not mean that I do not think it is a genuine problem.
- richmarr 9y ago
  Yes, I get that. If you re-read my comment you'll see that I didn't suggest you don't think there's a genuine problem. My point was that people in general seem to frame situations in a way that causes them the least cognitive dissonance. That's natural human behaviour. In this case (and this is semi-educated guesswork on part) I suspect men in tech will much prefer to frame this as a problem with men in general than a problem with men in tech specifically. A problem with men in general is less uncomfortable than a problem with men in tech. This will manifest as a gut feeling that's then rationalised, rather than a conscious thought process so please don't take it as an accusation of low intelligence, morals, or character. It's absolutely not. I brought this up because you were being vocally skeptical but not bringing evidence to the table. Maybe you have evidence to base your opinion on and this isn't an instance of the thing I described, in which case apologies. Actually, apologies either way, it's tough to have your motives examined like that regardless of whether your behaviour fits this description.

mcculley 9y ago

Yes, my point is that I am not convinced it is a bigger problem than in other industries. That does not mean that I do not think it is a genuine problem.

richmarr 9y ago
Yes, I get that. If you re-read my comment you'll see that I didn't suggest you don't think there's a genuine problem. My point was that people in general seem to frame situations in a way that causes them the least cognitive dissonance. That's natural human behaviour. In this case (and this is semi-educated guesswork on part) I suspect men in tech will much prefer to frame this as a problem with men in general than a problem with men in tech specifically. A problem with men in general is less uncomfortable than a problem with men in tech. This will manifest as a gut feeling that's then rationalised, rather than a conscious thought process so please don't take it as an accusation of low intelligence, morals, or character. It's absolutely not. I brought this up because you were being vocally skeptical but not bringing evidence to the table. Maybe you have evidence to base your opinion on and this isn't an instance of the thing I described, in which case apologies. Actually, apologies either way, it's tough to have your motives examined like that regardless of whether your behaviour fits this description.