Sal wrote:The misogyny in this thread is disheartening and disgusting.
My sentiments exactly, Sal, and I agree with othershoe that all of this is somewhat surprising and disappointing to see coming from liberal men, whom I tend to consider generally more open minded and forward-thinking -- a misplaced prejudice of my own, I guess.
Like you, I may have to come to some conclusions that my mind doesn't want to see.
But then, I shouldn't really be very shocked, I suppose. Seaoat speaks of "insecure little men" and I think he's hit that nail on the head, if you'll forgive the metaphor. I spent a thirty year career in a world of men (largely) and I guess was considered something of a pioneer in my field in that regard. I can say from my own long experience that, over time, it became apparent that it was indeed the most tiny-minded, insecure men who were the most offensive toward not only women, but everyone. Somehow they were under the serious mis-impression that it made them appear bigger or better by stepping on others, when just the opposite was and is true. We all know the type.
I'm no psychologist -- don't pretend to be -- but it seems just plain logical that, for whatever reason(s), these men must've been fearful and/or resentful of strong women, if not of women in general, and thus felt the need to denigrate them, assign motivations to them of their own choosing (mostly sexual, an assertion of false power), codify and put them into labeled boxes, and engage in all the rest of the behavior we've come to recognize as deep-seated misogyny.
It's truly sad, really quite pitiful, to see these individuals stuck in the arrogant, judgmental mindset of prior centuries, unable to mature and recognize all that women have to offer in society and the world of work.
(As an aside, I'm not speaking specifically of the attitudes displayed here toward Melania Trump; I truly have no idea whether she's deserving of pity or loathing or admiration or what. I'm simply cognizant of my inability to render that kind of judgment, being entirely unfamiliar with her as a person.)
But back to the workplace: I can honestly say that, in my experience, the men who inspired the most admiration, respect, loyalty, and even affection from their coworkers -- male
and female -- and who most often grew into leadership roles and highly successful careers, were those who, far from feeling the need to denigrate women, were genuinely proud and happy for the achievements of the capable females in the organization, and who not only applauded their abilities but often actively mentored them (and me!) toward fulfilling their true potential.
I'll just add (at the risk of overstaying my welcome on this post), that, in my opinion -- for whatever it's worth -- engaging in backward-thinking, tiny-minded, hate-filled rhetoric here is far more damaging to the poster's credibility than any error of grammar, style, or even fact.
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