At 10:21 AM 04/09/2002 +0100, you wrote:
>Sorry, Kerry, but I must live on a different planet.
I see the difference
>between the sexes as vast (incidentally, I see the
main difference as
>biological, rather than cultural). For example: women
give birth, men
>don't. You could write a book with the repercussions
of that single
>difference (and somebody undoubtedly has). For
instance, a child asking a
>priest what the difference between knowledge and
faith was might receive the
>following reply: "Child, your mother knows that
you're her daughter. Your
>father, well, he has faith that you're
his."
I'm sorry myself. I should have been clearer. The biological
differences are apparent (though often subsequently
modified.) As for sexual fidelity, the issue behind your
example, that's an issue of faith for both sexes. Narrowly
defined, your example illustrates a difference between the
sexes in regards to parentage, but in a broader application
parentage can be a question for either sex. Suppose the woman
had a number of sexual partners, for instance? And the issue
of parentage is very important to both sexes, which I'd argue
goes back to the underlying motivator of power, common to
humans regardless of sex.
>In terms of women writing male characters, I think
the key point to remember
>is that our instincts are different. For example, a
woman with a problem:
>male instinct is to help her solve it. A man with a
problem: female
>instinct is to offer sympathy and support.
That's cultural, relating to the traditional exclusion of
women from most authoritative roles in western society. In
fact, it's an example of my argument. Women have had to
exercise power through men, by offering support and sympathy.
That may be changing, of course.
>I'm going to shut up now before this descends into
John Gray territory.
Sorry Al. I think you were one paragraph too late.
Best Kerry
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