The Real Difference Between the Sexes
'In men, women have a subject of nearly perpetual interest: the foibles, the tastes, the motives, the moods, the peculiar psychology of men are examined by women at various levels of subtlety and at as much length as leisure allows. Men, when they talk about women, are more limited in their range of interest: they either (1) complain about them or (2) exclaim how they wouldn't at all mind bonking them. Broads. Go figure. Next subject.'
--from master essayist Joseph Epstein's darkly brilliant book-length riff on friendship, Friendship--An Expose. But note the tip-off to his advancing age and proud fuddy-duddyism: do you know anyone who still uses words like "broads" and (far worse) "boinking"? I sure don't. Similarly, my generation of males sure isn't laboring under any illusions that "broads" have little to talk about but us. I've noticed that they seem to have more than enough other topics to occupy their curiosity.
2 Comments:
No, women do think about lots of other things, but I think women invest more time in trying to understand men than vice versa (too much time, *I* think). In particular, to understand the ways men relate to *them*. "Why Men Marry Bitches" seems like it ought to be for men, but it's actually written for women!
Awfully well-said, Christine. You're right of course about the gender imbalance in thinking about how we get along. But I'm afraid there's more than a little genetic component in that, however much of a cop-out that might sound like.
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