(no subject)
May. 15th, 2012 12:41 amOkay, question for the women born girls out there. Warning: Possibly ignorant juvenile generalizations are discussed. :)
A long while ago, while visiting a friend who was four eleven and ninety nine pounds, I noticed how much the world just doesn't fit her. She's extraordinarily petite though. Another friend may have broken her knuckle because her sparring partner was a foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier than her. There's a dichotomy there that is so different, but depending on your point of view, the OTHER side must seem too small/too big.
Growing up as a male, I'd always seen my male body shape as "the norm." General consensus (from what I gathered from the rest of my gender around the teens) was the women were smaller and lighter than "the norm" and because of that, women were more delicate and fragile people. Some males even considered them less intelligent and overly emotional than "the norm." Male bodies were proportioned (at the time) and as tall (althgouh usually taller) than mine, and therefore "the norm" as well.
Now, I know that's just a complete generalization because of the gender I was born into. Many of my female friends are totally not delicate and/or fragile, or would be stomp most not-delicately and not-fragilely all over your face if you called them so.
That said...I'm assuming there's an equal and opposite to that: Women born women probably see themselves as "the norm." I'm assuming there were those same generalizations about men from that side of the aisle. If there are, what were they? Over-muscular hulking anger and arrogance engines? :)
I realize it's not the same as a the difference between a lefty and righty, but definitely something that is currently got me thinking....
A long while ago, while visiting a friend who was four eleven and ninety nine pounds, I noticed how much the world just doesn't fit her. She's extraordinarily petite though. Another friend may have broken her knuckle because her sparring partner was a foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier than her. There's a dichotomy there that is so different, but depending on your point of view, the OTHER side must seem too small/too big.
Growing up as a male, I'd always seen my male body shape as "the norm." General consensus (from what I gathered from the rest of my gender around the teens) was the women were smaller and lighter than "the norm" and because of that, women were more delicate and fragile people. Some males even considered them less intelligent and overly emotional than "the norm." Male bodies were proportioned (at the time) and as tall (althgouh usually taller) than mine, and therefore "the norm" as well.
Now, I know that's just a complete generalization because of the gender I was born into. Many of my female friends are totally not delicate and/or fragile, or would be stomp most not-delicately and not-fragilely all over your face if you called them so.
That said...I'm assuming there's an equal and opposite to that: Women born women probably see themselves as "the norm." I'm assuming there were those same generalizations about men from that side of the aisle. If there are, what were they? Over-muscular hulking anger and arrogance engines? :)
I realize it's not the same as a the difference between a lefty and righty, but definitely something that is currently got me thinking....
no subject
Date: 2012-05-17 12:30 am (UTC)