Ehh, I must be a different breed then. Maybe I was raised differently (Eastern European parents & Mom was the business/head of household type figure), or maybe I have a genetic defect that subtly altered my neurological development (I do have slightly elevated testosterone related to a condition I was born with that is tied to both my endocrine & reproductive systems, so I don't doubt that's effected my brain chemistry). But I agree that most women are soft & treated softer.
I think the hormones released during childbirth significantly change the brain function, even moreso than puberty. My sister & a bunch of cousins all had their first kids recently, and I absolutely see a difference before & after in the way they behave & react, on an instinctual level. It's a little odd to me because even though I understand it logically, I can't exactly relate without conscious effort, wheras other women seem to naturally. Women who don't have that affectation either haven't had kids, have some sort of genetic/hormonal quirk, or put in a large amount of effort to put a conscious handle on their instinctual emotions.
That said, I absolutely believe it is possible to overcome instinct, hormones, & inherent brain chemistry by careful, conscious, effort (I would not be able to keep my condition & depression/anxiety side-effects in check without meds if that were not the case), but a significant portion of people don't have the self-awareness or willpower to do that effectively (this includes men & women, but for different reasons/in different ways). The emotional side of women is important for child-rearing & other aspects of society, but it really isn't that hard to separate or compartmentalize skills & instincts if you learn how. I had to in my late teens to deal with the genetic issues that started revealing themselves. I think most boys are taught & expected to do this much earlier in adolescence than girls (if at all), particularly with emotions. If women were taught & expected to do this more & earlier in adolescence, instead of being handled with kiddie gloves into adulthood, as is still prevalent, I think we would have much stronger, stable, practical, & objective women as somewhat of a norm instead of a minority or exception.
Ehh, I must be a different breed then. Maybe I was raised differently (Eastern European parents & Mom was the business/head of household type figure), or maybe I have a genetic defect that subtly altered my neurological development (I do have slightly elevated testosterone related to a condition I was born with that is tied to both my endocrine & reproductive systems, so I don't doubt that's effected my brain chemistry). But I agree that most women are soft & treated softer.
I think the hormones released during childbirth significantly change the brain function, even moreso than puberty. My sister & a bunch of cousins all had their first kids recently, and I absolutely see a difference before & after in the way they behave & react, on an instinctual level. It's a little odd to me because even though I understand it logically, I can't exactly relate without conscious effort, wheras other women seem to naturally. Women who don't have that affectation either haven't had kids, have some sort of genetic/hormonal quirk, or put in a large amount of effort to put a conscious handle on their instinctual emotions.
That said, I absolutely believe it is possible to overcome instinct, hormones, & inherent brain chemistry by careful, conscious, effort (I would not be able to keep my condition & depression/anxiety side-effects in check without meds if that were not the case), but a significant portion of people don't have the self-awareness or willpower to do that effectively (this includes men & women, but for different reasons/in different ways). The emotional side of women is important for child-rearing & other aspects of society, but it really isn't that hard to separate or compartmentalize skills & instincts if you learn how. I had to in my late teens to deal with the genetic issues that started revealing themselves. I think most boys are taught & expected to do this much earlier in adolescence than girls (if at all), particularly with emotions. If women were taught & expected to do this more & earlier in adolescence, instead of being handled with kiddie gloves into adulthood, as is still prevalent, I think we would have much stronger, stable, practical, & objective women as somewhat of a norm instead of a minority or exception.
Just thinking out loud.