Jean in Newcastle Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 Heather in NC had quoted a wonderful article on what it means to be a man. Is there one about being a woman? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 Heather in NC had quoted a wonderful article on what it means to be a man. Is there one about being a woman? because we have added a lot of cultural layers of what "counts" for a man to be a man (different in different cultures, but probably with some common themes) but we don't really have a way to express, I think, a value judgment on whether a woman has really come of age. For males, an immature brat 25 year old is told he's not really a "man" because he has failed the more subjective "real man" criteria. So a "man" has a positive association. A man is a man when he meets some expectations of how men "should" act, but we mostly acknowledge that adult females are "women" regardless of how the behave. She may not be a woman who people admire, but if she's a s@xually mature adult female, she is automatically a "woman." We don't have a word, I think, that expresses what an woman of who is capable and strong and has a solid character is. "Lady" expresses one ideal of a woman, but it doesn't really include the idea of strength or ability - just gentility and breeding. Think about a bunch of people on a dessert island plane wreck. The guy who steps up to the plate is admired as a "man" while the guy cowering in the wreckage is something less than fully manly. But both the courageous female and the cowering female are still "women." We have to add an adjective, I guess, to distinguish between the kinds of women we admire and the kinds that we don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 Well, it's not a complete list but here is another one I saved: A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .. something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour… A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .. a youth she’s content to leave behind…. A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ….. a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra… A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE . one friend who always makes her laugh… and one who lets her cry… A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …. a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family… A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE … eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored… A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE … a feeling of control over her destiny. EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW… how to fall in love without losing herself. EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW… how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship… EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW… when to try harder… and WHEN TO WALK AWAY… EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW… that her childhood may not have been perfect…but its over… EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW… what she would and would not do for love… EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW… how to live alone… even if she doesn’t like it… EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. whom she can trust, whom she can’t, and why she shouldn’t take it personally… EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW… where to go… be it to her best friend’s kitchen table… or a charming inn in the woods… when her soul needs soothing… EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW… what she can and can’t accomplish in a day… a month…and a year… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 because we have added a lot of cultural layers of what "counts" for a man to be a man (different in different cultures, but probably with some common themes) but we don't really have a way to express, I think, a value judgment on whether a woman has really come of age. For males, an immature brat 25 year old is told he's not really a "man" because he has failed the more subjective "real man" criteria. So a "man" has a positive association. A man is a man when he meets some expectations of how men "should" act, but we mostly acknowledge that adult females are "women" regardless of how the behave. She may not be a woman who people admire, but if she's a s@xually mature adult female, she is automatically a "woman." We don't have a word, I think, that expresses what an woman of who is capable and strong and has a solid character is. "Lady" expresses one ideal of a woman, but it doesn't really include the idea of strength or ability - just gentility and breeding. Think about a bunch of people on a dessert island plane wreck. The guy who steps up to the plate is admired as a "man" while the guy cowering in the wreckage is something less than fully manly. But both the courageous female and the cowering female are still "women." We have to add an adjective, I guess, to distinguish between the kinds of women we admire and the kinds that we don't. :iagree: I actually read an article once that talked about how we need the female equivalent for the word "guy"...you know something more than boy but not quite man. We don't have that kind of word for women. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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