ah.. you know... it's interesting as I make my way through these forums and the blog and what-have-you... I actually agreed with a lot of the article but I am also one who thinks that much of it applies to women as well (I'm a "women"
). I thought the article to me read more like "How to be An Adult" which I think is in decline in American culture, anyway (I'm American). Seems like many folks get to a certain point and bump their heads and that's that.
Reading this thread, however, it's amazing to me how discussion about gender almost immediately almost inevitably devolves into a series of stereotypes and stereotypical thinking. I guess the article and the subsequent discussion works if you see things within the accepted Archetypes. If you're like me and you don't, however, saying "that's how it is" doesn't work. I just think of my Woman-ness (which I relate to much more than "femininity") is something far more intrinsic than the externalities that most people go into. Like it's not about liking this kind or music or that kind of movie. Yet I've read men citing that as some form of femininity a few different times now in this thread. That's just such tired thinking, IMO. .... I don't even know what to say about all that. That's just so irrelevant to me. And then of course the whole dominent/submissive men like goals, women like to serve, hunter/gatherer, nurturer/caregiver thing. Really? Seriously? Is it really this either/or, black/white?
Gender roles and identifications as they currently exist do not work for me. I do not fit 98% of what men in support of the article (and Steve) have said about what they consider "feminine" (please shoot me if I had to sit in a group and talk about my feelings...). YET I consider myself quite womanly and I am quite Woman identified within myself. It is difficult for me to think of this article as being exclusive to masculine energy and - if it follows similar lines - I am certain that I won't relate to what gets posted as "How To Be A Woman". I'm afraid I can't fit in these narrowly defined roles.