One night my wife, who is an absolute sweetheart, came back from a trip to the bathroom giggling.

"You know what happened?" she said, smiling sweetly and continuing to giggle.

"What?" I said.

"I didn't look and I sat right down on the toilet rim and almost fell in. As you know, I'm absent minded and don't always notice things like I should. Can you maybe remember to leave the seat down after you're done?"

"Okay," I said.

"Also," she added, "If the lid is closed, I'm apt to forget to lift it and and end up peeing all over it. So if you don't mind, try to remember to put the seat down and leave the lid up."

"I'll do my best." I said.

I would have responded differently if the tone of the request was as described in your hypothetical conversation. Often, how it is said is more important than what is said.

I don't agree that in general a man is automatically obligated to leave the seat down. I think your article conveyed a "battle of the sexes" tone, and you were taking the woman's side in that battle. Your making it a point to bring up "the thousands of years .... blah, blah, blah," "entitlement," "domination," etc. (at least you avoided "patriarchy"), reinforces my supposition.

You have not formulated a "definitive answer." Instead, you presented a partisan case for your position in the battle of the sexes.