Gender Differences

Guy today kept insisting that all girls are manipulative. Not most. All. He even "backed up" his argument with the scientific analysis that he had known two girls to treat him manipulatively. I was impressed. He even said it as if I should be impressed (which is how I knew I should be). After telling us about the first girl who did him wrong, and I pointed out that didn't prove anything about the rest of us, he goes, "No, that's not the only one. I knew this other girl who..."

You did? Two girls? Oh, well in that case...

Grr.

I don't know if this guy was kidding around just to a get a rise out of us or if he really and truly believes this stuff, but either way it still bugs me. Sure, girls have the capability of being manipulative. Perhaps, even, more so than guys. That, however, does not make the case, that we are all manipulative, unless you mean the way all humans tend to manipulate each other at one time or another, and what, really, does that prove?

Gender-bashing has never appealed to me much, on either side. I'm sure I have my share of stereotypes about the male of the species and do occasionally say things that aren't nice about them and even think it's funny, but--I don't know--there seems to me a point when it becomes unhealthy. Teasing is one thing. Perhaps my line is fuzzy, but I think I do basically know when I start feeling bad about how I'm treating someone. Or how they're treating me.