The superstition of equality

[Sir Percy]

Its an old saw. An old sore too. The difference shows up more in interest and inclination than it does in ability. All studies into these vaunted ability differences show very tiny diffs at the extreme ends of the distribution with the VAST majority of both sexes being quite equal around the average. Language, mathematics, mechanical, conceptual, you name it.

The 'nurturing' and 'empathy' are furphies of the hubristic order. They are female feel-goods with ostensive definitions loaded toward female expression. Don't you just love it when a woman claims superior empathy and slags off men in the same breath. How nurturing is that. Now I will give them seeming superiority in nurturing verbal violence against men and the commonality of slaps in the face that men get from women tells its own tale of nurturance and empathy.

As for the abilities themselves, lets face the fact that the vast majority of people cannot put a grammatical sentence together or add up a shopping price list. Add to that the fact that 50% of the population has an intelligence quotient below 100. Every other person is as thick as two short planks.

[CaptDMO]

Equality?  Bullshit!
Parity? well golly, recognizing that makes for a well oiled machine!

Basic truths? Sure! Water, food, climate appropriate protection.
So-called "rights" are always maintained by force.

So I guess it boils down to- What does an individual have to bring to the table?

In My Humble Opinion-The recent choice by Oz to imply assured torture
for anyone that finds themselves in jail for crimes against a "special" section of it's demographic, has clearly demonstrated  the need for re-establishing a concequence for abuse of "the equality system", and  has assured the breakdown of any previous pretense of civilisation under the guise of "equality".

This was, of course, inevitable as common sense is subject to relentless erosion from excessive greed of entitlement without merit. This very concept was clearly forcast by the founding fathers of the US, with a suggested course of action written in.

It's not going to be pretty.

[Fidelbogen]

Fidelbogen

What do you think women's strengths are?

That's hard to say, mainly because I have never met
"women", and it is rather difficult to formulate a personal asessment
of somebody you are unacquainted with.

I have, however, met this woman, and that woman,
and that woman, and that other woman...and the list
stretches for miles. And even if it cost me a bit of effort, I could
in theory dredge my memory and make a personal assessment
of each of these individuals in turn. I could, one at a time, compose
an inventory of their particular strengths based upon my
personal observation of them, and I could thereupon offer
such data for the enlightenment of all concerned.

But "women"..? No; I have never met this person, so I am
in no position to offer any feedback.

Quel dommage!

[contrarymary]

Well I for one think that math and science abilty is a male trait.
Saying that there we all have male and female traits, some more then others but by logic vastly more men will have this male trait then women.

Whenever a thread like this comes up though the question I ask is; Yes men are by nature better at math and science then women, what are women by nature better at?

My answer would be nurturing and language. Of course like math and science there will always be exceptions to the rule.


What would others answers be to that question?

A few exceptions to the rule:

Tonight, my store pharmacist was telling me how much she loves math and science.   I recoiled in horror.  

My oldest sister was a math wiz.   She's a Doctor of Economics.  But she was also amazing at writing as well as language.

My mother was an absolute genius when it came to math and she excelled at science.  She was also an wonderful writer and exceled at language.

Math gives me a headache.  I mean really gives me a genuine headache.   I took extra English courses rather than take science.

[Sir Percy]

Hand me a spanner or a monkey wrench and I'll whack someone with 'em.
Open the bonnet of a car and I will look in with mild interest and seek advice from my steed.

[whome112]

Well I for one think that math and science abilty is a male trait.

Saying that there we all have male and female traits, some more then others but by logic vastly more men will have this male trait then women.

Whenever a thread like this comes up though the question I ask is; Yes men are by nature better at math and science then women, what are women by nature better at?

My answer would be nurturing and language. Of course like math and science there will always be exceptions to the rule.


What would others answers be to that question?

Devia:  These abilities are probably curves, normal for females and skewed curve for males. That would fit what we know from history and current behavior.

That is, for the average female, she has better than the average male communication ability. For the average male, he has better than than the average female ability with visualization.

But, when you look at the 2% who are best and the 2% who are worst you see something quite different.

For communication, in the tails (the top and bottom 2%'s) you see mostly males. For math-visualization you also see mostly males at the top and about equal at the bottom.

This makes sense from a biological viewpoint. Males take a riskier path: It pays off big personally or the individual looses big time. Over time this pays off for the species by improving the genes of the fathers.

Females take a more conservative and less risky path: This pays off for the species over time.

Neither path is better than the other: Just different.

whome

[VK]

I'm at university.

The maths course that I am on is about 65% male-35 female undergraduate, (my tutor's gf is a professor of mathematics in Italy. At her university, and at most universities in Italy and Russia mathematics is ~ 80% female at all levels, with it considered a "female" subject that isn't hands on enough for men to be interested. This amuses and confuses me - I honestly can't imagine a math's class dominated by women, it breaks my brain)

Last year's exam results for our year. Women out performed the men. Hugely. Way higher percentages of firsts, and barely anyone at lower levels.

The english course. Hugely dominated by women. Men way outperformed the women.

[neoteny]

I'm at university.

The maths course that I am on is about 65% male-35 female undergraduate, (my tutor's gf is a professor of mathematics in Italy. At her university, and at most universities in Italy and Russia mathematics is ~ 80% female at all levels, with it considered a "female" subject that isn't hands on enough for men to be interested. This amuses and confuses me - I honestly can't imagine a math's class dominated by women, it breaks my brain)

Last year's exam results for our year. Women out performed the men. Hugely. Way higher percentages of firsts, and barely anyone at lower levels. [...]

Good for you (and them); hopefully, in the coming years it'll be reflected in the number of peer-reviewed research publications as well...

[SIAM]

This multi-tasking thing - I don't see it as a gender trait - it's down to the individual and simple organization.  It simply requires gumption and the ability to concentrate and not lose focus.  Agree with Fidelbogen - you are only doing one thing at any one time.  I have several projects on the go but I'm only doing one at any one time.  The skill is to make sure none are being neglected, and they can all meet their deadlines, and maintain a high quality of work.  You take on too much, and no amount of "multi-tasking" skill is going to help you because you will simply not have the time and you will lose concentration as you become exhausted.  You take on just enough, and really it's not that hard.  

Yes, "multi-tasking" has become this throwaway term to complement women in general, but it is meaningless.

[Galt]

I think true multitasking would be the ability to monitor and respond to several processes at once - but with the stipulation that you have to be sure about it, otherwise it is meaningless.

From that point of view, I think pilots are a good example of people who really have to multitask.  They have to be right, and they have to keep on top of several things at once in a number of situations.  Air traffic controllers are another group.

From that point of view, I don't see women as having any particular advantage.

If you want to use a different definition, like being able to paint your fingernails while you talk on the phone, well, who knows.  Sometimes "multitasking" involves doing a half-assed job on something and then doing something else without completing the first job.  Maybe moving back and forth between jobs just because you feel like it, because you don't particularly want to complete one, and then sometimes having to do more work because completing the initial job first before moving on would have been the better approach.

It's all just made-up stuff with the second definition.  The problem is that the second definition is bordering on the old term of "being scatterbrained".  How that has risen to become something to be proud of is beyond me.

[Galt]

Second point:

Nurturing.

I don't exactly know what that is.  If it is the ability to fake that you are a kind person, I don't know why that is considered a good trait.  And I say "fake it" because I have seen all too many instances of a person saying that he or she is a nurturing person and then almost simultaneously showing a mean streak.  A "nurturing" woman who will tear you apart when she gets the legal means to do it in a divorce situation was not a nurturing person - she was faking it to get an advantage.  A movie star who constantly proclaims that he or she spends some money on the "underprivileged" may not give a rat's ass about them - it may be about "buying" a better public image.

I'm still not sure what "nurturing" is.

[Sir Percy]

This multi-tasking thing - I don't see it as a gender trait

Any hubristic woman who claims that women can multi-task but men can't should worry herself sick every time she gets on a plane. 99.9% of airline pilots are men and piloting is an intensely multi-tasking job. A bit more immediately important to her survival than cooking or housework or child-minding, too.

[contrarymary]

Don't you just love it when a woman claims superior empathy and slags off men in the same breath. How nurturing is that

Good point.

[Fidelbogen]

Okay...let's see. Ahem! Language and nurturing....

At the risk of sounding trite: If women posess a greater strength in the
realm of language (verbal expression), then why have the great
wordsmiths of history been overwhelmingly male? (Because they formed an Old Boys club with "No Girls Allowed" posted on the door..? Yup, sounds about right.)

As for the nurturing thing: Women, in my observation, tend to emote more effusively than men. They tend to be more sentimental. These traits could be interpreted as 'nurturant'....but are they really? I mean, strictly in themselves per se?

[Psyle]

I think there's a misconception there. I think women are far from superior in verbal language... It's the language of the body and perhaps cutltural language that they may be more intune with.

Men are often more DIRECT and to the point while women skate around an issue making sure to NEVER actually discuss the issue. Look at how men and women face promotions. Men walk up to the boss and say.. look I want a promotion/raise... I work hard and I think I deserver it b/c bla bla bla.

While women work hard and expect their actions to be rewarded w/o ever saying anything.

The world has always handed women things, hence it has rarely been in their interest to develop the same direct language skills men have. I mean how often do women initiate ANYTHING? From jobs, to relationships, etc... They always seek the most INDIRECT route to doing ANYTHING.

I mean look at a female dog or cat as an example. When they're in heat do they look for a male and get busy? No.. they make a lot of noise and keep their butt waiving in the air. As a signal for men to COME AND GET IT.