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What am I being downvoted for here exactly, downvoters?[0] Do people think the behaviour mentioned is at all acceptable?! Or that 'extremely ugly sexist behavio

What am I being downvoted for here exactly, downvoters?[0] Do people think the behaviour mentioned is at all acceptable?! Or that 'extremely ugly sexist behaviour' isn't a fair characterization? I can't see what else in what I said could cause offence. We are talking about Feynman, who believed in speaking the plain truth, pretty or not. And that story is just very creepy: "in many ways Richard was a sexist. Whenever it came time for his daily bowl of soup he would look around for the nearest "girl" and ask if she would fetch it to him. It did not matter if she was the cook, an engineer, or the president of the company. I once asked a female engineer who had just been a victim of this if it bothered her. "Yes, it really annoys me," she said." [0] Sorry to mention it, but this doesn't seem quite the standard case.

JKCalhoun 8y ago
I agree with you, it is creepy. And I did not downvote you. Maybe people feel you are cherrypicking the article — drawing attention to the one creepy bit.
sten 8y ago
Don't leave out the rest of the quote. >"Yes, it really annoys me," she said. "On the other hand, he is the only one who ever explained quantum mechanics to me as if I could understand it." That was the essence of Richard's charm.
- yesenadam 8y ago
  I "left that out" because it reminded me of how people say "Yes, my husband was a violent psychopath, but underneath he was a gentle, sensitive man." or something. Being 'charming' is how sociopaths get away with it, not a balancing, redeeming feature. So don't tell me I have to mention the "redeeming feature", thanks. (Besides, I thought it was strange she said "as if I could understand it", not "in a way I could understand"...it sounded to me like she didn't understand.)
  - sten 8y ago
    Whoever this woman was, she was an engineer working at a cutting edge computer company in the 1970s. She likely suffered ridiculous prejudices to get to the point where she was. I'm inclined to believe that she did know (at least some) quantum mechanics and had to put up with people treating her as if she didn't know. I can see how you've read the context and I think I've taken the opposite understanding. Either way, now people who didn't read the article can see both and decide for themselves!
    - yesenadam 8y ago
      I'm sorry I wrote the bit in parentheses as it meant you didn't respond to the important point, the part not in parentheses. The bit about his charmingness seemed like those justifications people give to arsehole behaviour - sociopaths are usually charming - not an effectively "balancing", redeeming one. Maybe you thought otherwise. And please allow me to make a point without being told to quote some part other than what I choose to. Thanks.

JKCalhoun 8y ago

I agree with you, it is creepy. And I did not downvote you. Maybe people feel you are cherrypicking the article — drawing attention to the one creepy bit.

sten 8y ago

Don't leave out the rest of the quote. >"Yes, it really annoys me," she said. "On the other hand, he is the only one who ever explained quantum mechanics to me as if I could understand it." That was the essence of Richard's charm.

yesenadam 8y ago
I "left that out" because it reminded me of how people say "Yes, my husband was a violent psychopath, but underneath he was a gentle, sensitive man." or something. Being 'charming' is how sociopaths get away with it, not a balancing, redeeming feature. So don't tell me I have to mention the "redeeming feature", thanks. (Besides, I thought it was strange she said "as if I could understand it", not "in a way I could understand"...it sounded to me like she didn't understand.)
- sten 8y ago
  Whoever this woman was, she was an engineer working at a cutting edge computer company in the 1970s. She likely suffered ridiculous prejudices to get to the point where she was. I'm inclined to believe that she did know (at least some) quantum mechanics and had to put up with people treating her as if she didn't know. I can see how you've read the context and I think I've taken the opposite understanding. Either way, now people who didn't read the article can see both and decide for themselves!
  - yesenadam 8y ago
    I'm sorry I wrote the bit in parentheses as it meant you didn't respond to the important point, the part not in parentheses. The bit about his charmingness seemed like those justifications people give to arsehole behaviour - sociopaths are usually charming - not an effectively "balancing", redeeming one. Maybe you thought otherwise. And please allow me to make a point without being told to quote some part other than what I choose to. Thanks.