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I scored 16; nearly masculine I ain't. This horrible, horrible test is reminding me of yet another sexist thing that I've been socialized to believe. I, for one, believe that there is a grain of truth to most stereotypes somewhere or they would never come to exist. That being said, I have noticed over the years that many more men have been successful than women (including myself) in a lot of areas that I'm interested in because of personal characteristics that fit certain stereotypes about men. Yes, there were women who had these characteristics as well, but not very many. I decided to take a more "masculine" approach to things a while ago and I have noticed only good results since.
Unfortunately, (here's the socialized part of me) I always come back to that decision when my romantic interests don't work out, searching in vain for a culprit. Sure, there has a been a relationship or two where the guy really couldn't handle that I had thoughts and was a complete human being, but overall that has not explicitly been the case in most of my relationships. Yet, as I am now - in the wake of a completely healthy and respectful relationship with a man who accepts me exactly the "masculine" way that I am - the first place I think to find "the problem" that broke us up is exactly where I know I shouldn't. Maybe if I wasn't so assertive and independent, things would be different... Oh, those half-truths! Of COURSE things would be different if I were a different person; but that's never what I mean when have thoughts like that.
Ugh.
__________________
"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
(Michael Jordan)
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