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Should we assume that men have a natural tendency to cry a bit less because men cry less often? The articles are more strongly consistent with the theory of ge

Should we assume that men have a natural tendency to cry a bit less because men cry less often? The articles are more strongly consistent with the theory of gender socialization -- that the media et al coerces girls to focus (obsess, kill themselves over,) appearance, and without it it would be impossible to say to what degree such a thing as actually "biological". The rational course of action is to assume an absence of such a theoretical reality until evidence is found, just as with anything.

andrewflnr 12y ago
Yes. Men are more concerned with being/appearing strong, again, re-inforced and exaggerated by cultural norms. This also makes us tend to buy relatively useless tools/toys like power tools and big trucks, to make us feel strong. IMO this is a close analogue to the common female concern with aesthetic adornment. Women mock us, justifiably, for the dominance contests we like to get into, stemming from the same desire to be strong. Of course, women have their own analogues of our dominance contests. The deep fundamentals are the same, what differs is more our interpretation. Both sets of instincts stem from where we first look to power. Heck, they could just be subconscious logical deductions from the physical asymmetries between sexes, and the nature of our reproductive drives, but at that point the distinction almost doesn't matter, because it's still going to outlive any education campaign to stop it. This all seems obvious to me. We already have abundant evidence of a fundamental difference, it's all around us. It seems a more elegant explanation than all this madness occurring with no trigger at all, which is the view you seem to advocate. I don't know what else I can say.
- detcader 12y ago
  People are naturally concerned with interpreting and putting into practice the will of God, a concern which is re-inforced and exaggerated by established religion. This also makes us tend to do relatively useless things like go to weekly church services, to make us feel "closer to God". Atheists mock us, for they are merely in denial of their true urge to believe. (Toddlers buy their own toys? What country do you live in?)

andrewflnr 12y ago

Yes. Men are more concerned with being/appearing strong, again, re-inforced and exaggerated by cultural norms. This also makes us tend to buy relatively useless tools/toys like power tools and big trucks, to make us feel strong. IMO this is a close analogue to the common female concern with aesthetic adornment. Women mock us, justifiably, for the dominance contests we like to get into, stemming from the same desire to be strong. Of course, women have their own analogues of our dominance contests. The deep fundamentals are the same, what differs is more our interpretation. Both sets of instincts stem from where we first look to power. Heck, they could just be subconscious logical deductions from the physical asymmetries between sexes, and the nature of our reproductive drives, but at that point the distinction almost doesn't matter, because it's still going to outlive any education campaign to stop it. This all seems obvious to me. We already have abundant evidence of a fundamental difference, it's all around us. It seems a more elegant explanation than all this madness occurring with no trigger at all, which is the view you seem to advocate. I don't know what else I can say.

detcader 12y ago
People are naturally concerned with interpreting and putting into practice the will of God, a concern which is re-inforced and exaggerated by established religion. This also makes us tend to do relatively useless things like go to weekly church services, to make us feel "closer to God". Atheists mock us, for they are merely in denial of their true urge to believe. (Toddlers buy their own toys? What country do you live in?)