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Compliment women (not only girls) "by default" on their looks actually drives me nuts. It's used even in situations where is totally irrelevant (e.g. radio show

Compliment women (not only girls) "by default" on their looks actually drives me nuts. It's used even in situations where is totally irrelevant (e.g. radio show). It is really engraved n our culture.

knowitall 13y ago
To be fair, being pretty is a good strategy for women. I feel reminded of a recent Sam Altman article where he wrote "sadly, learning Ruby on Rails in <some short amount of time> is still a viable strategy". Likewise, sadly concentrating on being pretty is a viable strategy for women. It's not that they can't do anything else, but they have this option (much more so than men).
- djKianoosh 13y ago
  good looking/tall men "is a viable strategy" too, right?
  - knowitall 13y ago
    Not so much because it is not a very safe bet to find a wealthy woman to pay for your life just because you are tall and good looking. Although apparently good looking men have advantages, including on average higher salary. So it doesn't hurt, but it's only a supplement.
    - smsm42 13y ago
      You can make the taxpayers pay for your life. Being handsome is very good for a politician. Not a guarantee of success but certainly a boon.
alandarev 13y ago
At the risk of downvotes, I will still speak up. I agree with you, that visual observable complements, over sound-only channels are pointless and frustrating to hear. But, does it hurt you, that women want to look pretty? Would you like your daughter to be indistinguishable from a boy? I certainly would feel this world being a crappy place if women were as awful with their appearence men.
- kaybe 13y ago
  Sometimes I want to look competent, strong, eloquent, sturdy (good for martial arts training), etc. Sometimes I'm ok with pretty or cute. No, it's not the same. Don't reduce us to just pretty, please. Look beyond. (Some don't, which is why too pretty can be a problem if one wants to be a kick-ass hacker or such.)
  - alandarev 13y ago
    Apologies made, I have not intended to mean that having to be pretty is women's destiny. My comment was controversial opinion, to the "girls shall not be encouraged to look pretty".

Compliment women (not only girls) "by default" on their looks actually drives me nuts. It's used even in situations where is totally irrelevant (e.g. radio show). It is really engraved n our culture.

knowitall 13y ago

To be fair, being pretty is a good strategy for women. I feel reminded of a recent Sam Altman article where he wrote "sadly, learning Ruby on Rails in <some short amount of time> is still a viable strategy". Likewise, sadly concentrating on being pretty is a viable strategy for women. It's not that they can't do anything else, but they have this option (much more so than men).

djKianoosh 13y ago
good looking/tall men "is a viable strategy" too, right?
- knowitall 13y ago
  Not so much because it is not a very safe bet to find a wealthy woman to pay for your life just because you are tall and good looking. Although apparently good looking men have advantages, including on average higher salary. So it doesn't hurt, but it's only a supplement.
  - smsm42 13y ago
    You can make the taxpayers pay for your life. Being handsome is very good for a politician. Not a guarantee of success but certainly a boon.

alandarev 13y ago

At the risk of downvotes, I will still speak up. I agree with you, that visual observable complements, over sound-only channels are pointless and frustrating to hear. But, does it hurt you, that women want to look pretty? Would you like your daughter to be indistinguishable from a boy? I certainly would feel this world being a crappy place if women were as awful with their appearence men.

kaybe 13y ago
Sometimes I want to look competent, strong, eloquent, sturdy (good for martial arts training), etc. Sometimes I'm ok with pretty or cute. No, it's not the same. Don't reduce us to just pretty, please. Look beyond. (Some don't, which is why too pretty can be a problem if one wants to be a kick-ass hacker or such.)
- alandarev 13y ago
  Apologies made, I have not intended to mean that having to be pretty is women's destiny. My comment was controversial opinion, to the "girls shall not be encouraged to look pretty".