True or False: Watchtower Male Stereotype (page 2)

DJK

The WT is not an authority on human emotion's. They are, and probably a poor one, an authority on the bible. Their research on the subject probably hasn't extented beyond the third floor of one of their NY offices. Disregard anything they say beyond Adam and Eve and Jesus Christ.

Anti-Christ

I used to hide my emotions but that caught up with me. I realised that you CAN NOT deny your emotions, they come back to bite you in the but! Now I allow myself to cry but not all the time (still working on that one) I don't think it's a male thing, in the sense that we are borne like that I think we are taught to hide our emotions, I'm not sure why, but that's how it's works.

Anti-Christ

It's a total stereotype
people are people
some are sensitive and cry easily while others are more stoic and can hold their emotions in check, while some dont feel things easily at all.
I have known men to cry and be more emotional than women
I get so mad when they say men are more logical and women are more emotional, i have seen it can be quite the opposite.
There are logical men and women and emotional men and women, It depends on their personality, not their gender.
the sooner the world stops stereotyping people, the closer we will come to acheiving human harmony.
Ignorances and stereotypes only serve to hold us back in the dark ages. that is why the WTS is in the dark ages, and they keep their followers stupid and ignorant.

!!!!!

greendawn

Found my way, not that I like the JWs but I do sincerely believe that the fundamental differences between man and woman extend beyond the physical into the mental realm. Men must have a feeling side otherwise they will be strange and monstrous human beings without any warmth or affection. Likewise women must have a thinking side. However each sex has a better developed emotional or thinking side. And that's the basis of sexual attraction, it would be foolish to do away with it.

I don't think men and women are socially conditioned to be this way it is their innate nature their brain structure and hormones that does it.

Kudra

For my sweetie and I, it is exactly the opposite of the WT stereotype.

He is very emotional and I am usually pretty calm and rational, especially in our discussions and disagreements. This has played out over and over again.

I think that in couples I know it is usually 50%/50% stereotypical/non-stereotypical roles.

themonster123

I actually agree w/ what you call "stereotypes." From what I've seen in my LIfe, the various people I've worked with, gone to school with, and different men and women I've me, I generally agree with this conclusion that men are more logical, women more emotional. But of course, there's a whole range of people, which is what you seem to be getting at.

I've always thought, though, in regards to gay or lesbian people-how hard it must be growing up as a Witness with these "roles" they're supposed to live up to. Gay men are more feminine and lesbian women are more masculine- and it must be hard growing up and "finding yourself" as a Witness-esp. around 12-16 years old if you are that way b/c to constantly be reading in the literature about how your gender is supposed to be, it must be hard..... (if you were that way AND thought it was the Truth. If you didnt' think it was the Truth, you could just leave and have that be that).

IsaacJS2

I think men and women often communicate very differently, and this leads to all kinds of misunderstandings and misinterpretations. One is that men aren't emotional. I think that men often (but not always) express themselves differently, and people don't equate our behavior as one being "emotional" at the time the way they do with women.

We know that their are differences in the structure of our brains--women have more white brain matter, men have more grey, for instance. There's bound to be some difference in how we think. It might be interesting if we knew more about how much was biological and how much was a product of our environment. But I think it's too easy to say one is more--emotional, logical, smarter, or anything like that--than the other. I have certainly known men who are very sensitive and women who are insensitive. If there is a real difference here, it isn't an all encompassing one.

IsaacJ

Confession

If you examine the study of human temperament you find that this stereotype is true in the majority of males and females. How great is that majority? Approximately 2/3 of males are more logical than emotional, and 2/3 of females are more emotional than logical. (I'm sure there is a more specific percentage, but, from what I've read, this is about right.) So, yes, it is mainly true. But there are still a significant number of males and females who do not quite fit into these stereotypes.

I believe that temperament is a better indicator of behavior than sex. I become frustrated with people who think that, because we were born of a particular sex, this means we are automatically a member of that "club." In my last JW congregation, the P.O.'s wife seemed not only to believe this, but it appeared to be her overriding and primary form of communication. "Oh, you know, that's the way men are! Ha ha ha! We women are different!" With her, it seemed no conversation was complete without several such references, followed by hearty laughter.

Recently I was conversing with three of my workmates: two other males and one female. The female began to express how she cannot abide men who cry. Throughout the conversation I was hoping to hear her make understanding concessions of this personal rule--but no. In her opinion, a man is simply not a man if he shows emotion in this way.

The other two men objected vehemently. Not being much of a crier myself, I tried calmly to get this otherwise reasonable woman to admit that it was okay sometimes. But still no. I believe that this stereotype can cause all sorts of problems for males--and I believe people such as this woman are a big part of the problem.

funkyderek

found-my-way:

It's a total stereotype
[...]
There are logical men and women and emotional men and women, It depends on their personality, not their gender.

Nonsense! Men and women in general behave quite differently. I'm sure the fact that you know some women who are taller, stronger or hairier than some men you know would in no way prevent you from acknowledging that, in general, men are taller, stronger and hairier than women. However, for some reason, there is a taboo in certain circles on acknowledging the obvious fact that men and women are also mentally different. Their brains are physically different and respond in different ways to various stimuli.

There may be stereotypes but they weren't just invented; they're based on the real noticeable differences between men and women.

jaguarbass

Thats kind of a loaded question or one that I must dissect.

Do I show emotion? Yes, the emotion that I am most apt to show uncontrollably is anger.

When someone offends me I get mad before I cry.

I dont cry easily. I dont think about why I dont cry. I just dont. In the past if things went really bad I'd get depressed but I dont or cant cry. So instead of crying I get quiet and depressed and lethargic. It sucks.

When my father died I cried a few times.

True or False: Watchtower Male Stereotype

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