D.A. Kirk
2 min readJan 28, 2019

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This reminds me of a study I read about. Can’t remember who conducted it, else I’d link you to it. But IIRC, it was about how women in countries with greater gender equality (not sure how they measured that) were actually less likely to pursue STEM jobs.

I really don’t understand why gender differences are framed in such negative ways. Evolution worked out pretty well for us, and our species has been reaping the rewards ever since. I’m all for ensuring that every workplace is welcoming to women, and that they’re provided fair opportunities to pursue any and all professions that interest them. At the same time, I don’t think we have to ignore the very natural and complimentary differences between the sexes to accomplish those goals. Those differences, as you point out, make us all stronger.

When it comes to society’s attitudes towards the outliers — the men who exhibit traditionally feminine traits and vice versa — I do think we have a lot of work to do. One thing that I sort of agree with feminists on is the whole “traditional masculinity” topic. I certainly don’t think there’s anything wrong with being traditionally masculine, but I also don’t think there’s anything wrong with not being traditionally masculine. And I’d apply the same logic to femininity. I don’t really care whether you’re “alpha,” “beta,” or whatever else. In fact, I don’t really like those terms. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, and the strengths should be celebrated, including the ones that are considered abnormal for a person of a particular gender. Men who are unusually empathetic and women who seem predisposed to physical labor shouldn’t be looked down on or discouraged from doing what they want to do. It should be the opposite. If you have the potential to be good at something, you should be encouraged to explore that potential, even if it leads to a career in a field that’s normally thought of as being better suited to someone of the opposite sex.

Anyways, that’s just my two cents. Good piece, Clint! Have a nice week!

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D.A. Kirk
D.A. Kirk

Written by D.A. Kirk

Outer space enthusiast. Japanese history junkie. I write about politics, culture, and mental illness. Disagreement is a precursor to progress.

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