High Achieving Women

by Thirdson 22 Replies latest jw friends

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  Sam Beli

  Hi All,

  Certainly there are many highly intelligent women. Make no mistake about that. However, there is another side to this story that no one has addressed yet. Not all is roses with women. I mean there are probably as many bad women as bad men. I mean bad in the sense of bad (poor) manager, poor teacher, etc.

  Don’t get me wrong, I admire a talented and intelligent women every bit as much as a similarly skilled man. Let me put my money where my mouth is and tell you that several of my personal physicians are women (I have many health problems).

  However, I have known and worked with many “pain is the rear” women. The poorest manager for whom I ever worked was a women (there was a man who was a close second). One of the women physicians I am seeing recently scolded me as though I was a 3rd grader for following the advice of another woman physician. She hasn’t spoken to me since (she should have called me about lab work results on two occasions). It appears that she is being childish.

  Many, many years ago when I was in elementary school I remember that I was to be assigned to a male teacher. I expressed fear at that prospect since all of my teacher to that point had been female. My wise old aunt told me not to be afraid, she said that men were often easier to get along with than women.

  I have known plenty of male jerks too, don’t get me wrong. Men in general seem to have a problem with large egos, while the ladies are more apt exhibit petty jealousy. Am I being stereotypical? I don’t think so, I am just relating my experiences in life.

  So, my take on this subject is: give me an intelligent, talented PERSON who is willing to work hard and put egos and jealousy aside and get the job done. I always enjoy immensely working with men and women who are truly interested in the common good, good for the customer, good for the company and good for the immediate work group.

  PS Most of us are not truly gender neutral, however. If he is really handsome, many of the ladies with melt aside; if she is a knockout the guys will put up with a lot.

  Sam Beli

  I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted. Solomon
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  rollercoaster

  Well, when I was a JW, I was just starting my business. The more experience I had in the world of road construction, the more I learned to stand equal to men. I had to communicate with business men and the laborer as a professional. During this time there were Elders I had to supervise. That was just to much for them. I became a threat, therefore I remember some visits by the elders to my home regarding my attitude. I wasn't "humble".
  This really irritated me. To the point I finally told them they were no better than me. They were just"men". To this day, I have not had a visit from the elders, and I have been disassociated for over a year.
  I am still working hard as a business owner and have gained a lot of self confidence as a person and as a woman. I know I can do a lot of jobs as well if not better than a man.
  I respect men as they deserve it. If they don't deserve it, then I let them know what I think (In a professional way).
  I feel healthy mentally and I can look people, especially men in the eye when I talk to them.
  I hated the way men treated women in the Borg.
  Roller
• 

  Seeker4

  Excellent post. Having been raised a JW and served as an elder or MS for 25 years, I've done a lot of thinking about this entire gender thing. It became obvious to me even as a Witness that we were being misled in this.

  For instance the quotes from the 1962 Watchtower really have dominated WTS thinking for the past half-century: "These truths arise from the fact that, basically, women feel while men think. Women frequently measure up to men and surpass them in intelligence, but they are handicapped by the weight of emotional drag. Men have more practical minds; they can judge, organize, direct."

  I have frequently heard that "women feel, men think" phrase quoted by Witnesses in the decades since this WT came out. I remember how it was explained that women didn't have the emotional strength to serve as elders and leaders in the congregation. They would be too emotionally involved to deal with the difficult issues elders handle. Then I started dealing with women as managers, bosses, supervisors and therapists in the world, and realized what a bunch of bullshit that was.

  I totally feel sorry for the way women are treated in the congregations. It is an ancient cultural view from a world where women and children were viewed as property. Paul just brought it into the Christian theology. And JT is do dead-on that the decision makers in the WTS are really men who have come from an essentially late-1800's Victorian mindset. For god's sake, women engineers and lawyers at Bethel still have to work under male supervision. How pathetic.

  Leadership, problem-solving and interpersonal skills are in no way gender specific. Another proof of how human-influenced the WTS and the Bible really are.

  S4
• 

  LDH

  Where is FOCUS when we need him?

  Does anyone have a copy of Focus' "Class" breakdown? That is, the ranking of JWs?

  That will clearly show how women are viewed by the Sicksiety.

  BTW, as an outspoken woman, I can tell you I have spent MORE than my share of time in the 'Elder's Room' for nothing more than matters of personal opinion. Even then I knew it was utter bullshit, I was just under the mistaken impression that I was being submissive to God by listening to these pompous jerks.

  Lisa
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  Andee

  With all due respect. Taking into consideration where women rank within the Society. With the WTS's view on higher education, they also make it difficult to be a high acheiving man.

  That being said, I do not know of one high acheiving female that was also an active witness. They are just not compatable.

  Andee
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  blondie

  *** w51 5/1 276 Making a Success of Marriage ***
  It was Jehovah God that created male and female and made them to complement each other. Their characteristics should therefore complete, not compete with, one another. There is no issue drawn as to which is the “better half”. The physical strength, energy, initiative, determination and reasoning power of the male should not be antagonistic toward the female characteristics of devotion, sympathy, intuition, and motherly qualities and instincts. Nor vice versa. None should find fault or complain because they were not born of the opposite sex.

  *** w51 5/1 279 Making a Success of Marriage ***
  Ah, yes, live with your wife according to knowledge of God’s commands and with understanding of his fundamental laws of nature. Consider the biological constitution of the female, her limitations, her cycles, her vicissitudes, which greatly affect her mental processes, disposition and temperament. God does not overlook these feminine restrictions; neither should husbands. (Lev. 18:19; 20:18)
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  jayhawk1

  Regarding the microphone handling. No sister was allowed to handle them. Only baptized approved brothers. The shame of it was, when there was no other approved brothers, the oldest elders would carry them. Poor guys, they could hardly walk, and yet they would still do it anyway.

  "Hand me that whiskey, I need to consult the spirit."-J.F. Rutherford

  Jeremy's Hate Mail Hall Of Fame.
  http://hometown.aol.com/onjehovahside/ and [email protected]
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  Joyzabel

  Thanks 3rdson for bringing this topic up. What a refreshing view of women you have. (Must be using your emotions, not your brain, haha)
  Thanks Blondie for your research into wbts’ thinking about women. It still amazes me what you can find the wbts saying. (They should be so embarrassed, but their not!)
  I agree with Sam Beli “give me an intelligent, talented PERSON who is willing to work hard and put egos and jealousy aside and get the job done. I always enjoy immensely working with men and women who are truly interested in the common good, good for the customer, good for the company and good for the immediate work group.”
  
  You guys would have love to have heard the discussions at the morning text during the 70’s when the GB was “arguing” back & forth why the sisters could be assigned jobs other than the typical female role, i.e. housekeeping, telephone operator. No matter what the scriptural discussion was, whoever was chairman that week would turn his comments into his view on the “female vessel” issue. JT is right. Their old minds never change. “old school guys - have old school mindsets”
  The only one with an equality view of women and guts to voiced it, left in 1980!!!
  IMHO, women in that org. will never know who they really are do to their mindset. J2bf
• 

  AMNESIAN

  This is a subject I could wax on about endlessly, but will resist the urge unless I get more time.

  I'm reminded of an incident a few years ago on the occasion of the congregation's adopting a resolution (which was always a huge joke to me---'nother subject, 'nother time).

  Once the resolution was put before the congregation and some brother moved to adopt it (which was always "I make a motion" ---Roberts Rules of Order?--- surely ye trip), there ensued the usual auctioneer's cry for someone to second the motion. There were only women and children in the auditorium as all the elders and mss were either in the parking lot, the literature room, the elders' room, the toilet, anywhere to escape the spiritual food. The conducting brother had to beg for several seconds for someone to second. Finally a brother who'd managed to drag to his first meeting in over a year raised his hand and was called on to second the [invariably, e-] motion. I shook my head in disgust.

  I let my husband have an ear full when we got home. I recall telling him that the sorriest-assed piece of man was of more value to this dopey organization than the most capable woman.

  Sad. Sad then and still sad after all these years.

  -AMNESIAN, forgetful hearer
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  jst2laws

  Joy2bfree,
  Wow, your getting good at this.

  Amnesian,
  Quote: "the sorriest-assed piece of man was of more value to this dopey organization than the most capable woman"

  Excellent example.

  Jst2laws