Why do men hate us so much?

The title of the post doesn't say "all men."

'@murasaki ·
It's that saying again, when you're used to privilege, equality feels like oppression. So they get angry and lash out.'

Exactly, centuries of women being seen as inferior human beings unable to make their own decisions and as the 'property' of men...

In Western societies some men just resent the fact that they are no longer born with privilege just for being male and the fact that women can be independent financially and can choose who to have sex with.

Religions as far as I can see are disturbingly misogynist and reinforce the concept that women and children are the property of men and they can do whatever they want with them.

Are you sure he's basically a decent guy?

Men have enslaved women for their sexual, reproductive, and manual, labour, because their physical superiority makes it possible and in order to control paternity. That makes them into abusers, and abusers always hate their victims. They fear that we are conspiring against them, maybe even laughing at them.

Of course there are lots of men, even in Afghanistan, who treat individual women with love and respect. They tell themselves that the women are really in charge, while the men have to do all the heavy work and the fighting (this gives us something in common with that other famously all-powerful, yet simultaneously persecuted, group, the Jews).

(The hatred of women by low-status males stands outside this paradigm, as, IMO, does serious sexual violence outside the domestic context. Things like serial rape are committed by only a tiny minority of men, or in very particular circumstances, like warfare, and are motivated less by hatred than by the adoption of a (unconscious) hit-and-run reproductive strategy, in contrast to the more usual long-term coercive/collaborative model.)

I agree. Blaming religion doesn't get to the root of the issue. Women suffer in countries under the sway of many religions and none. The Abrahamic religions always get a mention but also:
Widow burning (India, in the past - Hindu)
Foot binding (China, in the past - Confucian)
Selective abortion of female fetuses (India, China and doubtless other places too)
Forced prostitution (Japan, in the past - Shinto)
Abortion as a means of contraception (under communism)
Rape as a weapon of war (too many examples to count, but Russian and Japanese troops in WWII were noted for it)

Religion, which can be a force for good, has been used a tool of female repression.

Low level misogyny is also so damaging and this is the type of mysogyny that affects women as well as men. This is why women give away our own rights or decide they want to identify out of womanhood. I myself was not a good woman.

I think it stems from seeing women as less important than men. I do think we humans still have survival mechanisms from more dangerous ages such as flight or flight, maybe it's because in those days being physically strong mattered more - for food & protection.

The men that really dislike women are afraid of women's power over them . They resent that women are 'supposed' to be care givers , nurturers, sexually available , and are afraid and angry with women who don't provide those things .
It's almost atavistic, a deep fear and resentment, coupled with anger and need to control female sexuality. Men are terrified of women cheating on them, having other men's children, and of the power and strength of women's emotions and drives .
Men may be physically stronger than women but mentally can be much weaker .
Usual caveats apply, namalt etc , but you get the drift .

I'm reading the book 'Eve', and reached the section on the penis. I had been brought up not to risk damaging the area - unless I needed to, but I had no idea how very vulnerable a man is. As a teen I thought it a bit of a joke.
I wonder if there's a bit of fear behind the misogyny.

Low level misogyny doesn’t warrant an all men hate us headline.
It's all part of the big picture.

Men are frightened that if we get power we will treat them as badly as they have trested us.

Low level misogyny doesn’t warrant an all men hate us headline. The government has failed repeatedly to tackle social issues that affect women and done little to protect women in DV situations. We should be putting pressure on the government, not pointing fingers at some confused Joe blogs on the street.

Also there’s already enough needless media hysteria without starting it on mumsnet threads. It sounds like ‘I popped out to the chip shop and next thing I know everything was handmaidens tales.’

"there is a lot of low level misogyny going on amongst the general male population, even in the supposedly more enlightened countries of the west" @Zita60
Agree.

When members of your own family tell you you have equality when you obviously don't and tell you women shouldn't act so hard done by. Sigh. And these are people who I know are really really on my side in life. What does that say about others?

It's a very good question OP, and one that's been struggled with for years by all kinds of people. I don't think a definite answer has been found yet though.

FWIW, I'm not sure men do hate women, or rather, I'm not sure they hate them anymore than any other "out group". We see violence against women, children and other men perpetrated by men. I've recently thought that maybe the focus of VAWG should be reframed as VBM - Violence By Men. The common denominator across society is the perpetrator of violence is primarily male, so why not tackle the source of the problem?

Because women hold the main power- childbirth. Coupled with religion and the demonisation of women since the dawn of time.
My 3 sons abhor the things you've put in your list. Talking, positive role models, challenging hatred. All these things shake young male minds effectively.

But the numbers of women who murder and abuse their children is far, far lower than the number of men who murder, abuse and rape.

The average man might not do those things, but there is a lot of low level misogyny going on amongst the general male population, even in the supposedly more enlightened countries of the west.

Because they need us more than we need them.

Men don’t hate women, the average bloke on the street is not a wife beater, has never raped anyone and is as shocked as everyone else about Afghanistan but can’t really pop over and start an NGO while struggling with mortgage payments. You could list a whole bunch of stats about women murdering and abusing their children and ask mumsnet ‘why do women hate children so much?’

Egos and patriarchy.

Subjugating women eliminates 50% of your possible competition from the entire human race in one fell swoop.

Getting control over them sexually and otherwise is then a powertrip and bonus.

Frightened of how powerful women are unless we're being subjugated. Frightened we might rise up and take their power.

Even without religion they would still do it.

Also bar Saudi and its oil money the countries that have emancipated women are far wealthier. Not economically smart to basically lose the skills of half the adult population.

Because if women are at the bottom, they aren't.

That's why they hate intelligent and powerful women the most.

Because it's all about power and control.

Because they are allowed to.

It's that saying again, when you're used to privilege, equality feels like oppression.

So they get angry and lash out.