quote:
If you place avoiding interpersonal friction over your physical safety, I can't argue with that. Though I don't see that as a reasonable set of priorities.
It's not "interpersonal friction" that would bother me.
I already live with an underlying wariness of strangers on a gradient: people I don't know, men I don't know, men I know a little, men I know well.
I don't want to lump all of them together, because that's not appropriate.
I don't want to live in more distrust and more fear than I already have to, which is what you seem to be suggesting I do.
Sort of an "Assume every man is a horrible monster and fear and hate him first, ask questions later."
It's what would happen to ME that I wouldn't like, not other people.
quote:
And honestly, living this way isn't that bad. Adolescent males live this way just fine. I get along perfectly well with my male friends, despite the mutual understanding that we're prepared to attack each other in earnest in self-defense or on principle, should it become necessary. Men have lived that way for centuries, in every culture.
Wait, are you telling me that you would beat up your
friends, or that they would attack you?
I read this to my husband and he gave me a really funny look, and said, "I don't hang out with anybody who thinks about attacking me. If that was a thought I ever had about a person I knew, I wouldn't hang out with them. Why would I?"
I asked him about the "should it become necessary" part of what you said, and he said, "Well, sure, if aliens invaded the Earth and took control of my friends and forced them to attack me, I would defend myself."
Seriously, neither Zhimbo nor I know any men like you seem to be describing.