Thanks for that, Yabby

I don't think I represent the typical Ms Aussie either. I'm actually a bit of a loner as far as the company of other women is concerned, and I tend to agree with Houellie's take on people in general.

From my observation,most women communicate differently to men. Their discussions are peppered with lots of "strokes" and compliments and they often form cliques that support each other's opinion simply because they're members of the clique whereas men tend to focus on the areas of difference and leave out the ego-massage. It's rare for men to form cliques in the same way that women do - common ground is simply that,not a reason to be friends.

The women that tend to stick on this forum are often content to remain focussed on the issues and they give as good as they get. Long may they continue and the lightweight socialisers go elsewhere.

I've been busy all day doing renovations, true to type, while my wife went out for coffee with a friend (2.5 hrs, and then had a lovely visit from a fiend at home while I painted 1.5 hrs. Bubs at daycare but housework postponed again).

Yabby's claim: "The girls love that stuff, but don't ask them about the poor
in Bangaladesh, for frankly they don't care too much, it does not
relate to them", is kind of what I'm on about above. What is all this self-fulfilment Lexi's on about? Surely a new concept and one which once one presumably either felt or didn't as a kind of epiphany. Self-fulfilment these days is just another facet to being a "successful person", whatever that means, and is part of what I meant about us having traded fortune for capital.
And what about the sainted Pelican's contribution here--sorry Pelican but not one of your deepest posts imo: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/images/icon_link_white.gif
"While it is good to aspire to improvements, things don't always go our way, so while aspiration is okay it is also important to remain grounded, happy and realistic". There you go again, Pelican's with Lexi, it's all about self-fulfilment. And this gem:
"It is not too difficult to ignore those bits of life that rankle and life is really pretty simple if you let it be". Tell that to the Bangladeshes Pelican, who I doubt are obsessed with their personal growth. This is exactly the kind of parochialism I do think the ladies are generally guilty of, whereas all corners of the modern world are inextricably linked and interactive and we have to factor the lot of the Bangladeshes into our personal equations.
I do find it hard to ignore the big issues, though the ladies seem to easily reduce everything to the local, the domestic and the personal.
Poirot, you are indeed an exception (and I've known Pelican and Lexi to back international human rights issues).

Dear Squeers,

The point that I was trying to make is that we have fewer
constraints today then people did in the past under the
"old system," where everyone knew what their roles were,
and most people unquestioningly behaved as they were
supposed to. The system constrained people, but it freed
them from the need to make choices.

Today there are many alternative lifestyles and roles that
are acceptable for both men and women. Our society is
individualistic and open to change and experimentation - and in
it is possible for men and women to explore a wide variety of
roles. There are not the restrictions of gender that applied
in the past. Today all possible options are open and
equally acceptable for both sexes.

I supported my husband when he struck out on his own and
decided to freelance - work wise.
He supported me while I undertook some post-graduate studies.
Self-fulfillment is whatever rocks
your boat.

"but don't ask them about the poor in Bangaladesh, for frankly they don't care too much, it does not relate to them"

Be interesting to see if there are any stats on gender and involvement in aid projects.

The following is speculation, no evidence to back it up and I may well be wrong but it does seem relevant.

I'm not working in the CBD now days so don't get accosted by all the collectors for various charities that I used to navigate between the train station and office. One thing I had noticed back in the day was that women seemed to be much more likely to stop and give than men (myself included). There also seems to be a lot of women involved in various aid groups, local and abroad.

My impression is that men are more likely to be pragmatic than women regarding helping the needy that we are not directly responsible for.
We might care more about how the problem came to be and the likely impacts of our help and maybe a little less about the sheer human tragedy.

Perhaps also better at making big things happen when we do get involved. Men will be at the fore front in the post disaster clean-up but maybe not so obvious in the week in, week out work at the local charity store (employment may have a lot to do with that) and some of the other less immediate roles.

My impression is that generally men do prefer to analyse things more than women, are more interested in how they work, women care more that they work.

Please assume an assumption of exceptions in all of the above.

R0bert

RObert,
I agree that the ladies are a soft touch and much more likely to support charities than men, and at the end of the day that's probably of far more use than agonising over abstracts. But there's a price to be paid too for compassion divorced from reason, and MTR's a perfect example of that, as was Mother Theresa. Abortion isn't just about the sanctity of life (indeed that least of all), and charity isn't as simple as making a donation, though it appears to be for the ladies. I don't think men are meaner than women, they're just more worldly-wise and suspicious, or despairing. It took a man to say that patriotism was the last refuge of a scoundrel (which bears thinking about), and another (gay) man to say it was the first, whereas women blithely wrap themselves in the flag (I want to puke every time a cricketer kiss the badge on his cap mind you) as if it was pure white linen, or they didn't know what military men get up to on tour, or in war. War is an absolute obscenity but you can count on the ladies to launder it at home. The greater burden is men's for perpetrating their deeds, but the ladies can bleach and starch anything--or these days send it to the dry cleaners.
A very broad brush I know.