07 May, 2007

The Things some women do

Ever noticed that there are women out there who will take the word of a man over the word of a woman any and every day of the week, even when the woman is equally if not more knowledgeable about the topic than the man?

Yes, I know, men do this all the time. We are, after all, women and our job is to sit and look beautiful and not make a sound - we dare not have educated opinions on a subject. I have been out with my share of these guys. Treating me like a brainless female is not going to get them far at all. When a friend of mine worked here, she just wouldn't tell men what she did professionally - which is sad, but honestly, it was a means of allowing her, and them, to find a comfort zone. She would tell them later after they realized how amazing she is.

I find it entertaining when women do the same thing in terms of taking a man's word for something over that of a woman.

Sometimes it is a woman's attempt to flirt or to demonstrate interest in a guy. I suppose that this is similar to downplaying one's intelligence to make the guy feel better about himself? I find that some women, when they like someone, will see them as the only expert in the room. Amusing.

Then there are those that, for whatever reason, see men as speaking with a greater authority than their female counterpart.

I don't know too many women who do this actually. I know women who use politics as a means of determining who has authority. I know women who down play their intelligence for political purposes. Most of the women I know, however, openly listen to a conversation in order to determine where lies the expertise - male or female, it doesn't matter.

That said... I have a friend... who is all about the male input having greater weight than that of the female. Now, I have not seen her around many men or have I heard her talk about many men so I am not sure if it is just her natural perception that men know "better" or if it is because she happens to have a crush on this particular guy. Whatever the reason, it is a bit frustrating, a tad annoying, and quite funny all at the same time.

She and I have a mutual guy friend. He is a great guy and quite intelligent. Just a fun guy to be around in general. Yet, when the three of us (or the three of us and his wife) are having a conversation, his voice is the only voice she will hear. Even if his wife or I have more information or a greater knowledge base, she will not hear a word we say until he repeats it. Like I said, annoying, frustrating, and yet funny. IN this case, we think that it is a crush, but who knows.

In the end, I just give up, sit back, and let her go on thinking that he has cornered the market on anything and everything. I mean, after all, he knows what she is doing; we know what she is doing; and... it is kind of funny - when it isn't a tad annoying or frustrating.

5 comments:

cathouse teri said...

Well too bad for her. She's the one who will lose out in gaining true wisdom.

And she'll lose the guy cause he is married! ;)

Anonymous said...

Someone get me a calendar, what year are we in?

She sounds like a funny one.

The Exception said...

Teri, She has had a crush on him for at least five years. He knows it, his wife knows it, our friends know it... it is just funny to observe what she does.

Ruby - she is a great person and, just a tad old fashioned I guess? She is funny though.

RunninOnEmpty said...

There's a woman manager where I work who's about 48, constantly asking this 29 year old guy for advice about her car (what does it mean when it makes this sound, it was doing this on the way to work, etc etc) and I sit right next to this guy and I can hear that he has NO CLUE. But shes continues to come to him and has never asked any of us self-sufficient gals who manage our own auto issues. Its funny.

Carrie said...

Oh my... Hmm... well I know of some girls who believe (and use to their advantage) that men feel better when they think they are the smarter (read: superior) one in the relationship, no matter what the relationship is.

Brilliant as always - so brilliant that I can't even form a response without it becoming its own post.