Just a Cotton-Pickin' Minute Here

I liked the title of your last post, honey, BUT you were only half right in how you characterized me (and even Shirky, who goes further than I do). Specifically:

>>They claim women won't achieve the success we want without tooting our horn
Yes absolutely.

>>and cheating.
No. I didn't say or mean that.

>>We need to boast
Yes absolutely

>>and even lie about our capacities and accomplishments
I didn't say lie. Shirky did, but he means a yes to "can you handle this job?" when you're not sure. That's not really a lie in my view; more of a gamble, and a responsibility to scramble and make your bold statement true.

>>Bravado yields recognition, promotion and big bucks.
Absolutely. Do you disagree? Do you have a plan for changing this?

>>Isn't this what's known as selling one's soul?
No. It's confidence -- the same confidence women always say they want in the men they date. If you have two job applicants with equal qualifications, and one is confident they can handle it while the other isn't, which would you choose?

I don't like arrogance, self-promotion, and relentless drive to get ahead. But as Shirky says, these traits are very common among successful people. You may say that many people including you (and possibly more women than men) would rather not succeed than become that obnoxious. Fine. But then you can't complain that women don't make as much money, rise to the tops of organizations, etc.

Is that what you want?

What is with you men?

Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm, on Bloomberg TV discussing the Mark Sanford affair:

"My reaction is really about his wife and kids. I mean, they are friends of ours and I'm just -- I am floored by this. I would never -- if I were betting, I would be the first person in the pool to say that is not him. This is really -- I am just really shocked by it. And, my heart goes out to Jenny and the kids. And, I hope people can at least give them their privacy. What is with you men?"

I dunno, but most of these politicians are having their affairs with a woman. What is with you women?

Now I'm a strong advocate of monogramy, if not a bit judgmental about affairs. But the stereotype that "men are dogs" baffles me. Aside from gay liaisons and I suppose threesomes, aren't there always going to be an identical number of men and women cheating? My theory is, men get the reputation for cheating because women are better at hiding it (ie deceit). Men just get caught more.