Today is Saturday, February 11, 2012
Today is Saturday, February 11, 2012
Robin Williams once said that “God gave men a brain and a penis, but only enough blood to run one at a time.” In society men are commonly viewed as impulsive, hormone-driven lovers of sex and sandwiches. This view may seem to have some basis. However, if society really stopped to look, it would see that men are actually not quite as simple as people perceive them to be.
Women often complain that men don’t communicate well and don’t listen to what they say. This stereotype, however, stems from the way men express themselves verbally. When men talk, they try to convey only what needs to be said without any extra fluff and then get on with life. Men don’t try to look deeper or analyze what is being said. Instead, they take it at face value.
When a woman says “I had such a bad day today,” men hear it as a fact being stated rather than an opening for a conversation. Realizing that he has nothing to say that can be perceived as useful, he grunts and continues to watch football.
In this instance, if a girl had said, “I had a really bad day and I want to talk about it,” her need would have been more transparent. The man, as a result, would be more open to talking.
Similarly, the stereotype that men are insensitive jerks with no feelings is overstated. Men do not feel comfortable gushing about how they feel, especially since this is considered an “unmanly” action by society. Men want more desperately than anything else to be successful and to fit in; therefore they are more willing to conform to this unspoken social norm and bottle up their feelings. It isn’t that men are emotionless rocks; it is more that they are afraid of being ostracized for saying how they feel.
On the issue of being hormonal and impulsive, it is true that men have very high levels of testosterone, a hormone responsible for our love of football, violence and boobs. While we can’t really control the feelings we have, the way men express them is very heavily influenced by the fear men have of being perceived as unmanly. For example, it is considered much manlier to watch the Super Bowl than the U.S. Open, due to the violent and hyper-masculine nature of the Super Bowl.
In truth, the way men interact is ordained in a series of rules that are not written down, but instinctively known to their gender class. These rules are often known as Man Law. For example, men know that in a restroom, they maintain at least one urinal of spacing between each other. They also do not talk to or look at each other. They merely finish their business, wash their hands and then walk out.
Similarly, men know that it is not appropriate to hit on the best friend’s girlfriend if she dumps him, or to ask for directions and instructions. Asking for directionsor following a manual is seen as a sign of weakness among men, who generally prescribe to the “trial and error”method of thought.If questioned, men generally respond with “[insert manly man here—Chuck Norris,James Bond etc.] wouldn’t need a manual to assemble this [insert power tool here—leaf blower, microwave etc].”
While the two sexes have been dealt very different hands in life, men clearly have the better of two fates. Shaving facial hair and having to pay for dates suck, b u t they trump having to give birth and dealing with the issues that accompany the necessary baby delivering equipment.
And though men continue to annoy and confuse women, it should be duly noted that men are relatively simple creatures who can be understood quite easily.
