Do Women Really Feel More Empathy?
The gender gap no one is talking about.
Here I go again trying to delve into what these charged terms of “masculinity” and “femininity” really mean… I discussed before whether “toxic femininity” exists like we claim “toxic masculinity” does, as well as why many feminists seem to shun the femininity that it was initially intended to defend and empower, along with a whole host of other issues I have with where the feminist movement is headed today…
I also explored recently how our gender may affect how we experience mental health problems. This is just one example of the research suggesting our brains could be somewhat differently wired (gasp!), another being that women are more likely to be empathetic yawners due to their increased ability to form social bonds and connect on an emotional level with a group. But how much of our personality and ability to empathize with others on a deeper level is influenced by the gender we identify with?
I would argue that it is a lot more than we currently like to admit!
However, centuries of systematic oppression of women, as well as the evident ongoing gender biases, have made many of us — even those who actively call out these injustices and strive for progress — to feel fearful of making the slightest statement about gender-based…
