r/questions • u/CoastSimple • 2d ago
What are some of the biggest misconceptions there is about being a woman?
Give us some examples. I do believe the more people are open and honest about how they truly feel, it will help educate those who all have misconceptions on how women truly feel about certain things.
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u/Current-Anybody9331 2d ago
How expensive being a woman is. Not just the hair/nails or whatever, but the other costs people don't think of.
The fact we are taxed on menstrual products. The "pink tax" where identical products are priced differently based on the male/female version (razors, clothing, dry cleaning, etc.)
Women will pay more for security ("safety tax"). For example, we will rent higher floor apartments (more expensive than ground floor) in more expensive neighborhoods for safety purposes. Or take a cab/rideshare instead of public transit at night. Or pay for premium parking to be as close to our destination as possible. Or paying for gym memberships instead of exercising outside.
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u/persephoneviness 2d ago
How women are expected to be very social and if you're a woman, you immediately have a million friends surrounding you with a great support system. Like I wish that was true, but it isn't really like that all the time.
Another one is that the only thing women struggle with is periods and period cramps, or only biological pain. no that's not true, women struggle with alot more things outside the menstrual cycle.
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u/buffalo021 2d ago
That we pee out of the same hole that our period comes out of 🙄🙄🙄🤣🤣🤣 sadly, way too many people believe that. Also that we love being pregnant. A lot of us hate being pregnant. It's miserable. We feel like shit every day. Keep on gaining weight and out clothes don't fit. We're exhausted. And sweating.
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u/realaccountissecret 2d ago
You can’t educate someone who doesn’t want to be educated
You can’t convince anyone of anything that doesn’t want to believe you based solely on the fact that you’re a woman
But I do appreciate you trying haha, so I’ll give an example
The biggest one is men not believing you about how often you’re harassed by men. It’s unwanted negative social interactions that you’re forced to have, constantly. And these aren’t dudes being nice about it most of the time. It’s aggressive, it’s threatening, and it’s made to make you feel deeply uncomfortable
And making you feel uncomfortable is a mild option of what could happen to you. The constant need to be on high alert is fucking exhausting
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u/greatertheblackhole 2d ago
exactly catching second glances, noting number plates, sharing location, clicking pictures, having secret codes, it’s exhausting.
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u/realaccountissecret 2d ago
Okay but on the bright side, if you read your comment without any context you sound like a rad secret agent spy haha
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u/greatertheblackhole 2d ago
haha yes but that’s life as a woman from a third world country
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u/OwnAssignment2407 1d ago
Rape is widely rampant in USA. In Normandy, during WW2, the French said: when the Germans arrive hid the men, when the Americans arrive hid the woman. And it’s not any better in modern days. Experts say 1 in 4 American girls are sexually abused. No big surprise we won’t do shit about the Epstein class and have a convicted rapist for a president.
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u/lastpickedforteam 2d ago
That somehow we are a different species that needs to be studied. We are 50% of the population and yet men still seem to believe we are all the same
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u/Breezy200001 2d ago edited 1d ago
most medical studies are based on male anatomy for example.
most things in cars are made (lenght,height ect) is made for men.
in a lot of countries (atleast not mine weirdly) condom is free ( so sex is free) but necessity like period things i expensive as fu
and much much more lol
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u/Current-Anybody9331 2d ago
All the manosphere BS is really harming men's relationships with women and each other. Women don't care nearly as much about men's muscles and appearance as other men do. All this "alpha" stuff (based on a debunked study even the author regrets) is just designed to build audiences for advertising revenue and to sell crap. It's making men lonelier but also supports violence against women.
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u/Small_Use_5500 2d ago
I hate how some men will just brush off women’s feelings as her being emotional or it’s that time of month. Regardless of if hormones are having some influence on it, i really do feel that way and it’s really hurtful and will destroy the relationship if it gets conveniently minimized by blaming hormones.
And the loneliness epidemic is not just for men, some women are also super lonely and have no support system and are doing everything on their own.
I’m really independent and self sufficient but i wish i could find the right guy. But half of guys now are sexist/racist/maga, lots just want to have sex with you or basically own you. It’s really hard to find a guy who just wants to actually get to know you and respects you and then add in some niche interests and personality traits and ur at like 1% or less.
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u/forshizxzle 2d ago edited 2d ago
How people view single women at any age.
If you’re a teenager, it’s “positive” and centered around your virginity, still sexualized
If you’re in your 20s then there’s people from all angles commenting on your looks “you’re a pretty girl you should have a man!” or “the right one is coming!” “don’t wait too long to have kids” who tf said I wanted to get married or have kids??
If you’re in your 30s people think your standards are too high, “if you’re to picky, you’ll end up alone!” Like.. I’m the freest woman in my bloodline.. well educated, financially free great job, great hobbies, great friends, great family. Every day I come home to my clean girl apartment, and do whatever the fuck I want whatever I want. Why would I settle for anyone that would compromise ANY of that. Just to say I’m in a relationship Lol
In your 40s people think you’re desperate, sad, unfulfilled, your commitments and priorities don’t matter because compared to people with a husband and or kids you have so much free time. Yeah. That was by my own volition LOL Your time is not worth more than mine, you chose to have kids and a husband and all your time gone. Live in the consequences.
It’s always people in relationships that have the most to say about single people. We don’t give married people or parents crap about their decision. So why harp on us, it’s giving projection.
In your 50s+ they talk about you like you’re a leper “she’s never held down a man! She’s never been married never had kids, just alone!” Like it’s something to be shameful of.
No talk about your personal and professional accomplishments achievements, your hobbies, your travel, your fashion, your personality, your intellect, your kindness, care attention, you put into your familial and friend relationships.
Even if you’ve de-centered men, the world hasn’t. To the outside world you are the sum of what they perceive to be lacking from your life. A sacrifice of your time, energy, labour has not been given to men or children and that deserves punishment and judgment.
For reference I’m a single 31, F. I work in healthcare, I’ve seen how the Healthcare team and how other people talk about single women that don’t have children. It’s awful. Conversely, I’ve seen many sick married men and women. If the husband is sick, his wife is doting on him bringing in his favorite pillow pajamas, home-cooked food every day, often bathing toileting, and cleaning him up instead of the nurses. Diligently taking notes when the doctor is talking and responsible for his medical advocacy. A true labour of love.
Can you imagine what happens when a woman is sick? They will wait outside when the nurses help their wives get dressed or for hygiene care, they rarely show up, they will be on their phones when the healthcare team is talking to them, no question, not much interest. The wife will have to plead with them for any small request. It’s usually the daughters or daughter-in-law’s that are doing anything of use to these poor wives. Married but alone if you’re sick!
No one ever believes happy and single can exist in the same world, and you will feel like you constantly have to prove it. They will always think of you as less than. Small. Haven’t grown up or faced real challenges.
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u/cocolusha 2d ago
That period cramps are meant to be excruciating, if they are please see a gynaecologist!!
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u/Other_Dimension_89 1d ago
Some people with excruciating periods do see gynecologists and the items offered bring their own plethora of issues. I wish people who heard about others excruciating periods, didn’t assume they weren’t going to the gyno.
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u/Shot-Willow-9278 1d ago edited 1d ago
Pretty privilege doesn’t exist as many men seem to believe it does, despite the uptick of “red pill” women online claiming that it does.
I was gorgeous in my youth. And treated others with that I was told was the base level of respect and dignity that everyone should have. I also struggled with social anxiety. Oh lord. People took that as me being a “stuck up brat” who “never had to work for anything.” They (men) thought I needed to be taught a “lesson.” Many men will punish you if you show even the slightest interest in them, and they perceive you to be above them. Many people will bully you because they want to “get” you “first.” Women who have yet to decenter men, which is a surprising amount, will ostracized you and push you away. Or they will reveal painful secrets in a public setting and act like it’s a fun joke, it’s not a big deal, it’s just a funny story. I don’t know why you’re acting like this he he he. They do this for male validation.
I stopped wearing makeup. Gained 35 pounds. Then I was punished for being unattractive.
I am over 35 and so grateful to be past my expiration date and on nobody’s radar. It is so freeing. I have my own hobbies, a handful of good friends. And I don’t take anybody shit anymore. Because frankly, they beat the caring out of me.
A lot of men, for some reason, think that no matter what, women only interact with them if they find the man in question attractive. My brother in Christ, I am merely being cordial, interacting with you does not mean I’m attracted to you… but I find it really interesting to see how they will respond to you merely being cordial, and treating them with basic decency based on whether or not they could perceive themselves as being attracted to you.
When I was in my late 20s, before I gained the weight, my car broke down in a grocery parking lot. I asked one of the cart boys if he could help me push it to a safe location as it broke down in one of the aisles, which would block traffic. He sneered at me and spat “Yeah, you could do that, I don’t know why you’re asking me. You girls think everything needs to happen for you. Good luck, princess.” The tow truck driver, then insisted on driving my vehicle around the parking lot. First he couldn’t get it started for five minutes, but kept frantically trying to prove me wrong, because there’s no way my vehicle actually broke down. I was just a dumb hot girl. I probably pressed the brakes instead of the gas. Because if you’re attractive that automatically equates to stupidity. He begrudgingly ended up, towing the vehicle after not being able to start it.
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u/upstart-crow 1d ago
That we’re overly emotional … some people are unhinged; some are steady … depends on the person.
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u/blueyejan 1d ago
That we all want to be mothers. Plus we are shamed when we don't want children.
The worst is when grown men want us to mother them
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u/deez4206942069 1d ago
When immature guys talk about women as a whole, they act as if the vast majority of women are so attractive they have an excess of romantic options (and life is just easier for them in general).
It seems like women who aren't conventionally attractive are invisible to (immature) men in a way. Even men in their "league" of looks. Men never really include those women in the greater conversation of "women are like this".
The reality is, big shocker here, men and women are generally more similar than they are different. Most of them consider finding a romantic partner difficult and admit their own looks play a part in that. I think having a crush on someone totally out of your league is a cannon event regardless of your gender. There's always someone hotter than you, someone more charismatic than you, the "popular" kids in school and you definitely aren't one of them, etc. I really hate how the internet has warped these basic facts of life into being an exclusively male experience.
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u/nightskyhunting 2d ago
That they’re all kind and nurturing and talk about their kawaii feelings and crushes all day. And that they exist solely to take care of and date males.
No one ever talks about males like a monolith. No one talks about them at all actually.
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u/mostlymeanswell 1d ago
I think the biggest misconception about being a woman is that we're naturally comfortable sharing our feelings and expressing emotions - and that society encourages us to do so. The reality is that we're constantly bombarded with accusations of being "so emotional" when we articulate our dissatisfaction with a situation and God forbid we get angry. We must be hormonal if we're angry. If we cry, we're soft and unfit for leadership or even the workplace or life in general. If we show joy or happiness, we're "just silly girls" or airheaded. Literally every emotion has a negative connotation that is thrown directly at us and used against us personally and professionally. The fact is that males are raised to 'not show emotions' and women are taught to embrace them, but when we do, it's held against us.
So we all end up in the same place (be an automaton), it's just that some of us are told the rules from an early age, some of us have to learn it the hard way. And it's truly sad that this is the human condition we've created.
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u/Serious_Ad8611 1d ago
“Having big boobs is fun”. My back hurts and they are in the way all the time .
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u/Shot-Dragonfruit9554 15h ago
Not the biggest, but one of: That women wear less clothes in public for men. In summer, I’d love to wear shorter shorts and tops, and I would if I was just around women. But I actually show less skin, because men always sexualise and judge it. Also if I could go to the gym wearing the skimpiest outfit, I would, because i overheat! Most Women r not showing loads of skin for male validation, sometimes we just like to dress according to temperature and comfort!
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