Misogyny, Misandry, Biology & Truth

August 5, 2010 | Filed Under Small Talk 

When discussing the genders there is a fine line between truth and perceived hatred.

The challenge is all wrapped up in knowing about and talking about people as predictable things. As subjects, there is something within us that takes great offence at being considered as objects. The fact of the matter is that as human beings we are biological organisms. Many of our proclivities (even the less than savory ones) are encoded in our natural constitution.

When I think generally, say, about all men, I have to generalize. Human beings are enormously complex. There are exceptions to every rule under the sun. But when you quantify over entire populations and you try to understand groups of people as a whole, you run the risk of coming to sensibility-offending conclusions.

I’m not interested in pleasing close minded people. I have been called both a misogynist and a misandrist in the last three years in various contexts. For example, I prefer to hire women for certain positions within my company because, quite simply, I’ve had more success hiring women in those positions. This does not mean that I won’t hire men in these positions. It just means that a man must overcome an empirically based bias I have based on dozens of experiences.

For me, the key to happiness is freedom of conscience to believe and speak the truth. I know that the idea of deriving happiness from truth is an empty, dull idea for some people. For some, happiness is located in the merrymaking of drunken parties, lavish vacations or grand sexual adventures. I can appreciate the good times had in all these sorts of things. But the joy derived is fleeting; it passes with time. For me, a deeper, more penetrating happiness is located in the discovery and sustenance of truth – knowing reality.

What I’ve discovered over time is that there are certain facts about reality that can be hurtful. Stereotypes come to mind. To say something like “white men can’t jump”… it’s a stereotype but there’s also some truth to it. A lover of truth doesn’t mind uncomfortable truths that emerge in generalizations.

It’s a fact of life that by and large, when you consider large swaths of population, there are significant differences between men and women. Understanding and knowing these differences is neither misogynistic or misandristic. It’s learning to love and engage reality on its own terms, without conditions.

Men are physically stronger than women. Women tend to be more fluid than men. Men tend to be less flexible (more rigid) then women. Women have an easier time multitasking than men. Men tend to have more intense and violent anger than women. Women tend to be more nurturing and patient than men. Men tend to be more inventive than women. Women tend to be more sensual than men. Men tend to be excessively principle based. Women tend to be excessively feeling based. Men tend to derive pleasure from debate and competition. Women tend to derive a great deal of pleasure from social cooperation. Men are driven to understand how things work. Women want things to look nice (fashion) and/or be organized. The list could go on to infinity.

Now this list does not hold for all men and women. Just most men and most women. There are very clear exceptions. And sure, the degree to which these tendencies are culturally driven versus biologically driven is up for debate. But I do think it is quite clear that there are deep biological differences between men and women that are not culturally derived and which are worth knowing and being aware of. And to know these things and to be aware of them is to simply know reality as it is, without the makeup.

Related posts:

1. A Primal View of Male-Female Relations

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