N.B. I have no dog in this race, so what I say below is meant to be neutral to the issue. I don't think there is any contradiction in what she says. Gender, a

N.B. I have no dog in this race, so what I say below is meant to be neutral to the issue. I don't think there is any contradiction in what she says. Gender, age, upbringing, education – all those things will influence someone's perspective on an issue. But the issue itself is not about gender. Plenty of men don't want communicate via a lot of "Shut the fuck up, this is shit", and obviously women can swear and put people down, so it is not a gender issue. It is a style of communication issue, and the argument is: Linus: I hate fake politeness and game-playing, so I'm just gonna let rip, especially on people who waste my time (implictly, to discourage that strongly). Sarah: You can be assertive without being rude, and politeness is important in a professional context. Her viewpoint might be different, and her gender might influence that, but that doesn't make it a gender issue.