Back in June 2009, Mark posted an entry encouraging women to be more like men: Women Need to be More Evil. Today I found a post on Clay Shirky's blog that maintained the same Rant About Women. They claim women won't achieve the success we want without tooting our horn and cheating. We need to boast and even lie about our capacities and accomplishments in order to get noticed. Bravado yields recognition, promotion and big bucks.
Isn't this what's known as selling one's soul?
Seeking images to illustrate this post I found a thought-provoking engraving. The rungs of the ladder are carved with fine qualities: industry, temperance, prudence and such, framed by morality and honesty. Not everyone dares climb, only the men will even consider it, and only one man in the group is actually taking the first step. Notice the young boy encouraged to pay attention as the ladies look on.
I admire the qualities that are reflected on this ladder; I only wish there was a woman poised to take her turn. These are qualities that can be shared by all. But clearly, it's an old picture, reflecting a different social and economic reality.
What's interesting now is that women are outpacing men in college registration. What might emerge could be a South African-kind of imbalance, where the minority rules the majority, that is, a few educated men dominate in positions of authority over the greater numbers of educated women.
My hope, my practice and my recommendation is that we all climb with integrity, never stooping. It is the foundation of morality, that which yields success for society. Perhaps that's the true problem, our definition of success is based on the advancement of the individual, not the community.
In my search for images, none showed multiple ladders...
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