Ah Pericles...

Gentleman extraordinary!

Antiseptic:

...You are right to criticize, I was being deliberately factitious on the subject. I believe the male of our species has GENERALLY a will to put themselves last in a life threatening situation; but must admit to witnessing a male swim away from his girlfriend who was in the process of drowning: That was in spite of protestations of onlookers.

...But my experience has also taught me that women have a surprising ability to remain calm when some of the most masculine of men have descended to panic in a tight situation beside them. I believe this situation relates to experience at sea more than to a gender quirk though.(action in the presence of sharks for example requires nerve) Sea conditions can be terrifying (I am sure Hasbeen would vouch to that); thus the whole deal is very unpredictable. In a situation such as the sinking of the Titanic, my prediction would be that many orders would be issued at the point of a gun. Thats sort of how I would work personally; no choices

This is certainly an interesting subject, even though I realise that Antiseptic wants all us bad women to say that: "...yes, I would RUN to the lifeboats, pushing all males out of the way, and fling myself onto a lifeboat seat, after asking ALL males to get out, and assisting only other women to join me!"

Sorry Antiseptic, but I truly believe that I could not get onto a lifeboat if there wasn't enough room for everyone, especially my husband. If my whole family couldn't leave, then I would stay.

I think I feel that way now because my daughter is grown up, and basically can manage without me.

If I still had small children to care for on the boat, I would try harder to get onto a lifeboat with them, but not at the expense of other parents.
I just couldn't do it.

I'm of the opinion that the older people on the boat should have given up their place for younger people of both genders.
Maybe I shouldn't feel that way... but I do.

Thanks for your responses folks. No Suze, I'm not interested in "proving" anything. Unlike some of you, I am interested in new ideas and challenging my own perceptions.

Now this is hardly a representative group, consisting as it does of largely middle-class people, most of whom are well past 40 I suspect. However, the responses demonstrate quite clearly that the men see it as their role to defer to women in matters of life and death and as a matter of "courtesy".

I agree with Pericles that this is "nice" and I also prefer politeness on the whole, but what does it mean for gender politics? It seems to me that much of the resentment felt by men about the feminist deological makeover of society is that it seems our good natures are being taken advantage of.

We WANT to give you a fair go. We WANT to help you to be happy in whatever way you choose. We WANT to hold the door for you. We WANT to be polite. We WANT you to do well.

What do you want for us? All we ever get is how violent, how brutal, how exclusivist, how patriarchal, how misogynist, how generally second-class men are. And you wonder why some of us react as though we've been kicked in the groin. It seems that the modern feminist woman sees men as a means to an end and not worthy of either respect or recognition for the good things that we do.

Even Lexi, in her squirming efforts to place herself squarely on the side of the angels never suggested that she'd give her seat up for a man. Ammonite was positively scathing at the idea that a healthy man might survive at the expense of a healthy woman. I'm not sure what her reasoning is, but I doubt she is either.

Any comments?

All I know is that Julia Gillard & Anna Bligh let me get sucked down in the vortex of their incompetence without blinking an eye, therefore I will not offer any help to save them from going under at the next election.

There are many inns and outs. Good topic anti, pity not many are interested in taking it on honestly.

For me, it would depend on whether I thought my camera would survive. If I could first post pictures on facebook or twitter, and whether the slim chance of being a beakonsfield miner, with pics!, would have me fighting with the other narcisissists to NOT have the lifeboat so I could sell 'My Titanic Hell Exclusive'.

'LOL. Boat is sinkin. Epic fail!'

I could not be more proud, and I know the social kudos would be worth dying for.

Nobody talking about peer pressure? Astounding. What if Andrew Bolt was there. Is Alan Jones there? I'd need a chief propagandist to make my decision really.

I like Ammonite. I have for years been kept guessing whether she is duplicitous and disingenous or just really has a 'unique' way of comprehending things. Maybe it's both. Though she does sound like an excellent fire person. All this gallant Fire personing and then there's the acting and most importantly impeccable manners, I'm really in awe.

'But, by all means, feel free to continue with your stunt.....'

:-)

'The way a man or woman treats a baby in the womb gives a pretty good idea as to how they would react in a choice situation.'

What, perform a quick self-c-section and discard the fetus to save weight on the lifeboat?

Nobody here understands the principal of hypotheticals. The object of hypotheticals is to insist on more and more detail, bringing in variables from your wildest imagination, and adding disclaimers to cover each. Not just telling everyone 'I'll decide at the time'. Hey Foxy!

'Ah Pericles... Gentleman extraordinary!'

Yep, go Pericles. Chicks love a mindless self-sacrifice. You'll live on in a wet spot in someone's undies.