thegreatsze on Female Mediocrity
Posted by Ray @ 2:36 amThey do not think: If I drive a car, I should learn about its maintenance and upkeep. If I utilize technology on a daily basis, I should familiarize myself with it above and beyond just consuming. They wail instead: “But why? I have my brother / father / uncle / husband / boyfriend to do it for me.” And this wail is final, a comprehensive answer to life’s vicissitudes.
This is not an exercise in misogyny. Rather, it is a general diatribe against modern society. We - and by this, I mean both men and women - have unconsciously conspired to allow mediocre women to stagnate happily in their mediocrity. I do believe that we are all born mediocre, save for the talented, God-gifted few. All is hard work.
…
This is not just the fault of the female, though it is arguable that she has let herself down by falling so comfortably into the unchallenging role that society has carved out for her. It is the fault of us all; we prize female beauty to such an extent that all else that she does has no real effect on our judgment of her. It is of course our loss; when an entire gender expects little from its collective self, it is the entire species that suffers.
Yes.
The comments are exactly what you would expect, and a good read in themselves. I suspect a lot of people are misreading the essay; it’s not a diatribe against women so much as a diatribe against passionless, soul-less mediocrity. Women just happen to be a convenient smoking gun… believe you me, there are plenty of mediocre guys around, too.
“A Man should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently and die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”
- Robert A. Heinlein
I’d add to that: drive a stick shift, play an instrument, read widely, stay healthy, write the rules, break the rules when the rules are stupid, respect someone who deserves it, disrespect someone who doesn’t, please a woman, please himself.
Specialization is indeed for insects. Don’t be a liability to humanity.