Mojo

I've always known what i ultimately wish to have and thats quite a traditional family life. I want a wife and kids, basically. Ive always found quite a maternal instinct in women to be attractive and i love to hear women who think this way when it comes to giving birth. I dont think all women should be expected to feel this way or anything and i know im a guy so my opinion doesnt really count as alot of what you girls have to endure and sacrifice to have children is not something i will ever have to experience personally but i think its great to hear a woman say that she almost considers it a privelidge rather than a hinderence and i dont think its corny one little bit.

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Last.FM | Echoes and Dust

Astronomer

Then why are depression and other mental disorders significantly more common in women?

That's from Gender differences in unipolar depression: An update of epidemiological findings and possible explanations. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. 2003;108(3):163–74. doi:10.1034/j.1600-0447.2003.00204.x. PMID 12890270.

I'm not saying that women suffer more than men, I think that both genders suffer equally and in different ways, it's just interesting that depressive and emotional disorders are statistically more common in women and that perhaps hormonal imbalance has some kind of bearing on it and the fact that women do have to deal with regular hormonal craziness.

EDIT: Yes, you are completely correct in that it is probably true that the likelyhood of a guy deciding that a great way to start the day is to shoot up a mall full of people with an uzi is greater than if a women were to do the same thing. Because testosterone levels can promote aggression in males. But that kind of aggressive and violent impulsivity is not the only form of emotional instability. Aggression is not the only emotion... there is sadness, depression, anxiety, self-esteem issues, etc... both genders experience these differently.

It's also interesting that you say despite having these hormonal instabilities women are better at coping with them in life... because successful suicide attempts are more common in men than women. Women attempt suicide more, but often it is a cry for help rather than a choice to end their life. While emotional disorders are more common in women, they choose to be strong and deal with it rather than end their life. Someone suggested it's because women have great responsibilities in their lives such as their children and family who they don't want to abandon. It's pretty interesting looking at the statistics though.

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boo boo

Maybe it's just because it's more reported with women? Men are much less open about their emotional problems.

All I'm really saying is that regardless of who is more likely to have mental issues, women are less likely to act on psychotic impulses and at least compared to men exhibit better self control. They're more likely to sob at a funeral sure but I don't think simply being very emotional is being ubstable. That's actually pretty healthy.

Also stuff like harmonal changes is a biological/mood thing. I'm talking more specifically about mental disorders like psychopathy, a total lack of empathy. It's people with these problems who tend to be the most destructive and dangerous. And antisocial personality disorders are sigificantly more common with men.

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Burning Down

I like being a girl. Of course there's the downsides like getting a period and bitching at people for no reason because if it. But overall I'm just fine with it. I have never felt inferior to men. I'm also happy that I have the opportunity to go to university, whereas years ago I probably would have been forced to marry young, have a family, and be a housewife. That's not the kind of life that I want!

I agree with you on the pregnancy thing. My parents were married for ten years before I was born (I'm the oldest - I have a younger brother). I remember my mom telling me that she couldn't wait to have a baby and go through that experience, but that she almost gave up after too many negative test results. I was the baby my parents thought they were never going to have.

I think pregnancy is beautiful and it's a natural occurence in the cycle of life. I'm sorry if you think otherwise, but remember this: a lot of women want to experience being pregnant but some of them may never have the chance because of fertility problems or other complications. It bothers me a little when people say that it's gross or whatever. Your mom went through it to give you life! And I'm not saying that every woman should have babies - that's a personal choice of course. It's great that women today can choose when/if they want to get pregnant by taking the pill. It doesn't protect you from STI's though!

About the makeup and shaving: I wear makeup and shave because I WANT TO. Not because it's the social norm for a woman. Wearing makeup is something that I do to make me look good and to let other people know that I take care of myself and I care about looking good and not like I just got out of bed. I don't wear a lot of makeup either - just some mascara, eyeliner, lipstick and occasionally some eyeshadow. But I don't cake it on like some women do. That just looks so cheesy, ugly, and a bit pretentious to me, like you're trying too hard to impress people.

I do think it would be interesting to be a man, if only for a day or something.

boo boo

You know with all the really kooky type of feminists that give women a hard time because their legshaving is conforming to social stigma or whatever you never see a bunch of grizzly addams types who get pissed at men for shaving their beards off.

It's also against social stigma to cover yourself in poo so just because it's a popular belief doesn't mean it's a bad thing. And there's no point in bitching about it if some women actually do enjoy doing it, especially when you yourself clearly have the choice not to do it.

There's nothing wrong with self maintenance, it's not like women are the only ones who do it, men do too, women just do it a little more. But I think with both sexes it's not just about attracting mates, a lot of people male and female just like looking good for their own aesthetic pleasure.

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TheCunningStunt

I bet you're right, Men just think meh, I'm sad. Let's get on with it, Women are more open and feel like they need help.

Maybe it's due to alpha male stubbornness, the refusal to seek help. I bet loads of men suffer with depression in silence.

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Burning Down

Exactly. And in the professional world, it helps a woman greatly if she wears a little makeup, fixes her hair and dresses nicely. The same thing goes for men (minus the makeup of course). Nobody would want to do business with a total slob!

Astronomer

Yeah, I agree completely. It's like the crazy feministas who criticise girls for wearing miniskirts or flesh-revealing clothing saying that they're going against women rights and presenting themselves as sex objects or whatever. Isn't that a step back in women's rights, back to the time where women weren't socially allowed to wear skirts above their knees and stuff? Women's rights should mean liberation and choice. A choice to shave your legs if you want to, or not shave them if you don't want to. To wear miniskirts and somewhat revealing clothes if you want to, or to be more conservative. Women should have choices but there are some hardcore feminists which I think try to promote having less choices which is bad.

And there is nothing wrong with personal maintenance. It's not just women that maintain their physical selves, men do too... It's one of the reasons why I hate the term 'feminist' because people just think of butch short-haired women who don't shave their legs or armpits or wear dresses.

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Burning Down

There's also the stereotype that all feminists condone misandry - the contempt or hatred of men.

boo boo

There's a reason I always add words like "radical" and "kooky" before "feminist" when I'm talking negatively.

Certainly not referring to feminists in general and as I stated way back on one of the first few pages, women who want to eliminate the distinctions between the sexes cuz they have hardcore penis envy are not true feminists.

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