“…we only have our own experiences to derive our perspective from…”
True, and that applies to you and me equally. Your experiences are no more universal than mine, and mine are no more universal than yours.
“…you should trust others…”
I trust others who have proven worthy of my trust. As you may imagine, there are many who would share “experiences” in a less than honest manner in order to promote their own self-serving interests.
My experience and observation includes the experience of interacting with others and sharing experiences with them and observing them. I am also familiar with socio-scientific claims, many of which are contradictory to each other. In the end I am left to rely on my own good judgment to arrive, to the best of my ability, at the truth.
“…women having privileges in certain areas, men have many many more.”
“Being blind to one’s own privilege is very common…”
No comment necessary.
“ There are for example trans people who have experienced it from “both sides”, and they do in fact notice a huge difference.”
I have seen testimony from trans people who claim to have an easier life as a woman and testimony from others who claim the opposite. I am still left to use my own best judgement.
It is time to resurrect Emma:
“…society that’s run by men.”
If men run society, then how did they arrive in a position to do so without women acting to prevent it in the first place?
“ However, despite women having privileges in certain areas, men have many many more.”
That is your perspective, your judgment, based upon your experience. I imagine you are aware that there are others whose judgement would differ from yours. One’s judgment in this case would partly depend upon what one considers to be a “privilege.” What appears to you to be another’s privilege may be experienced as a burden by that other. Be careful what you wish for. As they say, “The grass is always greener….”
Stipulating for purposes of this conversation that men have more privileges than women, how do you believe that men acquired those excess privileges in the first place, without women acting to prevent it?
“I think it’s too simple to claim that traits are favoured because it’s more beneficial under the relevant circumstances.”
That is why I described it as a “possibility” rather than a certainty. I should add that it may be a possibility that applies in certain instances and not in others. Further, it may be one reason among many that certain traits are favored. I continue to doubt that traits that are common to men are, in general, viewed more favorably than traits that are common to women. I maintain that favorability is circumstantial, but I understand that it may be so for a variety of reasons.
Let us stipulate for purposes of this conversation that traits that are common to men are indeed viewed more favorably. What do you believe are the reasons why traits associated with men would be viewed more favorably?
Who is viewing them more favorably?
“…there is absolutely no scientific backing of women being more nurturing than men.”
…and there is no scientific backing that they are not. That is partly because there is no precise, scientific definition for the term “more nurturing” that allows that proposition to be tested scientifically.
What is actually meant by the statement “women are more nurturing than men?”
Why do you think that women are perceived as more nurturing than men?
If a woman does not want to be left with the biggest burden of parenting, then it would be wise for her to make that clear to any prospective husband before she marries and has children.
If a man prefers to be left with the biggest burden of parenting then it would be wise for him to make that clear to any prospective wife before he marries and has children. It would also be wise for him to surround himself with people who won’t ostracize him for doing so. I, for one, will not ostracize him. One of my closest friends is someone who assumed the biggest burden of parenting his four children, while his wife assumed the biggest burden of pursuing a career. His children are now grown and successful. And to this day I have not ostracized him, not even once. He has plenty of great friends and none of them have ostracized him either.
Personally, I do what I do and I am who I am regardless of what others think.
I would prefer to be ostracized by those who object to my choices. I will ostracize them in return.
I must confess that although I believe that there are some traits that are more common to women and some more common to men, I am not always clear as to what specific traits are more common to whom.
I do not find that kindness is particularly associated with women, and you might not either if you knew some of the women who I know. On the other hand, I also know many women who are indeed kind. I also know many men who are kind. There are also people of either sex who can be kind at times and cruel at other times. I just don’t particularly associate kindness with women.
Empathy is another trait that is sometimes present and sometimes absent in either sex. There may be some characteristic differences in how each sex expresses empathy or kindness, but I can’t say that either trait is more present in one sex than in the other.
While profit can be measured objectively and precisely, empathy and kindness can only be measured subjectively and are a matter of judgment. Therefore, the relationship between profit and empathy/kindness can only be judged subjectively. The validity of any conclusion that those qualities are associated with increased profit is subject to the biases of the individuals who have drawn that conclusion. One must consider the vested interests of those individuals.
Workplace happiness is also subjective and difficult to measure. Nevertheless, it would be hard to argue that people who work under kinder and more empathetic leaders would not be happier. Therefore, my judgment is in agreement with those who assert that leaders who display kindness and empathy can increase happiness among their subordinates.
I reserve judgement with regard to the relationship between profit, and kindness/empathy. If kindness and empathy increase profits, then one would expect that companies whose leaders display those traits would ultimately out compete those who do not.
I have been exposed to both male and female leaders and have not found women to be any kinder or more empathetic than men. That is, of course my judgment based on my limited experience and observation, but others around me, both women and fellow men, seem to have reached similar conclusions.
“I assume you are a man.”
I have always made that assumption, but it is based strictly on my own experience and observation, so who knows.
“It’s still a man’s world.”
I hear tell that Mars is, but I also heard that Venus is a woman’s world.
