Do men keep women down, because of how powerful women are.

[Annamaria14]

I was talking to a man before lockdown. He said "you have a lot of power, whether you know it or not." He said " women have no idea of the huge amount of power that they have over men. That men want women desperately. And women have power because women create life"

He said that as a man, will look at a woman as she walks past and think " she is so hugely powerful, she creates life, something that I cannot do".

He said, that is precisely why men have been trying to keep women down in many areas of society, so that women will forget how immensely powerful they are. Because women are immensely powerful beings, men want to keep women down, because they are scared of them.

Ever since he said it to me, I have begin to realise how powerful I actually am. That many of us women have just forgotten it.

What do you think?

I think that had good intentions.

I see the argument that "women create life", "women reproduce" etc all across the board, from all "sides", and I don't understand it. Yes, women are the ones who hesitate and grow a baby, which is no to be underestimated by any means! But the conception/creation of a child still needs both parties. Women cannot spontaneously become pregnant without sperm, and are unlikely ever to do so without some serious genetic meddling.

The other argument - isn't that just a rehash of women being "gatekeepers" of sex? That women don't have a sex drive of their own, and can provide or withhold sex on order to manipulate men? Phrasing in a complementary way doesn't change the underlying assumptions behind it.

I think it's just a product of how our societies have evolved. The "default" human is a relatively wealthy, white Male, and anyone else was naturally lesser.

I think that really it's as simple as those having privilege not wanting to give up that privilege, or even examine it. It's why people will bend over backwards to demonise other races, genders, religions and classes rather than admit that biases and handicaps exist It means that you can keep and enjoy your privilege, and tell yourself that you made the right choices so have earned it.

I also think that a rose-tinted view of the past also plays into it. I've often joked that I'd love to have a 1950s housewife in my life, or live the life of (the picture painted of) a 1950s Male. And while the sunshine and daisies good ol' days and Stepford wives never existed, if I lived surrounded by various sources only too happy to state and reinforce that I could have had that lifestyle, if only it weren't for xx group trying to take it away by pretending that inequality still exists, maybe I'd easily fall into resentment of that group, too.

I think they take advantage of women being distracted by children.

I agree with you but my point is that we are not more powerful than men.

That's all words. Ive heard that argument from men too. But it is often only young women, feminine women and beautiful women who have this alleged power. And power i think men really mean they feel lust. They need women to satisfy their lust.

So what power do women have?
We have to tell our daughters to be financially independent and to validate ourselves and not look for external valudation from men.

Allowing ourselves to be valued by men disempowers us. So that isnt power.

Men hate women

And you clearly hate men...

@KingJarvis 🤔

I do believe that, historically, men have been afraid of the power of women. Some still are. However a confident man will not be, he'll enjoy an independent woman with opinions of her own and celebrate her success. Why not, what is there to be afraid of?

@WeirdAndPissedOff oh precisely, that "compliment" is is just trying to say "gatekeepers of sex" in a way that is dressed up to flatter women, tell them they powerfully feminine goddeses or something

AtTheFootOfTheHill

What? Are you going to accuse me of being a man? Typical

Typical of WHAT??
you said to OP 'and you clearly hate men'.

You didnt give any basis for that conclusion.

I think that it makes sense.

If you want something desperately, and she has power over you.

What are you going to do - you are going to try to tear her down, to make her think that she is worth less than you.

We cannot change the behaviour of the men (not all men) that do this.

But I just want women to be so aware that you are powerful, and that if a man ever insults you, or treats you like shit, it is because you have power over him.

To never BELIEVE a man that says you are bad , worthless, awful, or whatever a man says to you. He is saying that from his own vulnerability.

You are powerful.

Even if you go on online forums, I see similiar posts written by men. I saw one last week. It was titled "Are women aware of how much power they have over men?"

What a load of bullocks. The simple take on why men have always kept women down is because men are physically more powerful. Simples! If Your average woman could easily overpower your average man then ‘women’ would be the men. Animals physically weaker will always be subdued by more powerful ones. That doesn’t mean women have no power at all, far from it but women can’t easily defend themselves when it comes to combat, that’s why women have always been kept in line.

You really think women haven’t realised they have loads of unused power because men haven’t told them they have it? yeah, silly little women not thinking for themselves.

Women use whatever power they have. They've has to. Time and time again. They aren’t waiting around to be allowed to use the extra bit.

I just really want women to see how hugely powerful they are, and to see that a lot of the mistreatment of women, has been because men are afraid of how powerful women are.

Why would you try to keep some one down - if you weren't scared of them?

My male friend said it to me a while ago as well. He said "that men keep women down because they know how powerful women are"

I just don't want women to forget how powerful they really and truly are.

❤️❤️

He said that as a man, will look at a woman as she walks past and think " she is so hugely powerful, she creates life, something that I cannot do". What do you think?

What do I honestly think? I think he was blowing smoke up your arse. I find the idea of this thought randomly occurring to a man while watching a woman walk past very difficult to believe, and a comment such as this would set my creep radar off instantly.

It might well be difficult to accept or recognise your own privilege when you don't belong to the class who has to police your own movements, avoid lonely places after dark and look over your shoulder. Or that you have to do this because the other, physically stronger, more aggressive class (as borne out by crime statistics) represents a threat to you. To be tone deaf enough to turn that situation around against that class makes me curious about his motives, to say the least. Either that or he just doesn't get it, and apparently has no problem with making a display of his igorance.

Anyone seeing women as the more 'powerful' class might change their minds if they trawl through some of the initial responses to #MeToo. Not only do we make up the majority of sexual assault victims, but if we are unfortunate enough to have that happen to us we're expected to put up, shut up and not 'jump on the bandwagon'. Because it makes society feel uncomfortable. And because, for that reason, society would rather believe the perpetrators are incapable of doing such a thing, therefore it must be the women who are lying. It's the same kind of rhetoric that suggests an accusation of rape is as bad as being raped. It isn't.

Needless to say, this man is spectacularly wrong; as wrong and ignorant of the reality as anyone can possibly be.

@PilatesBunny physical strength is not the only strength.

You are right op it is bollixology. What women need is free childcare so that they can be in the same race as the men. Women need to be allowed to feel equal to men even if they are too olld to have kids, too unattractive to have "power" over a man.

I agree with pp who said if women are so powerful why have men been able to keep them down?

A lot of men do think - consciously or not - that women are secondary and are keen to keep that as the correct world order. Women have "power" to those men whilst sexually attractive only. The men also hate that too (hence all the dirty slut/slapper/ bitch/whore/golddigger comments) because even that power is resented.

I doubt very much that men are woefully in awe of our ability to bear children. Most men (of that type) would prefer not to have the expense and bother of children in my experience!

We have come a long, long way in terms of equality but I doubt it will ever be a level playing field in the next thousand years, if the homo sapiens even last that long.

This reminds of an article I read not long ago, I think it was about a spanish mans attitude towards woman and basically how they are goddesses to be worshiped. Something about how be bear children, give life, and feed our babies. And that is why a woman shouldn't have to work, because she should be waited on and provided for and never feel she should have to get her hands dirty. It was a completely different attitude to work then what I had been brought up with in british society.
Another article I read, which was posted on mumsnet, was about how woman are actually happier single, but men are happier in a relationship. And the idea that a man chases a woman more then the other way around. Which does coincidence with the OP's point that we are extremely powerful towards men, much much powerful then they are to us. The worship us, desire us, and admire us much more than we them. Thay makes us powerful.

@honeylulu men have been able to keep women down, by brainwashing them, by telling women at so many opportuntites tjat women are worth less than them.

They did this so much that women forgot who they truly were, they forgot their power.

It is like an abusive relationship - if one person tells the other person that they are shit and weak for a long time, they will start to believe it.

Many Women in general (not all) began to see themselves as weak, because men kept telling then that they were.

I want women to remember themselves as they really are. Really incredibly powerful

If women are so powerful why are we the most impoverished across the world? Why are there so few of us in positions of power?

Men put women down so they can control access to real power - the stuff that counts, not the power to give men a stiffy, which is really worth the square root of fuck all against access to wealth and control.

I think that confuses a trophy, i.e. a representation or symbol of power, with actual power.

A woman is a trophy to be possessed. That's the power that line of thinking is talking about.

We don't go around telling men they're powerful

No. Men and women have a symbiotic relationship and need each other.

PilatesBunny physical strength is not the only strength

Where did I say it was?

Yes, for most if history (and still in some societies) women were kept in their place by denying them equal education opportunities, job opportunities and voting rights.