Not aware men are stronger than women

[AthenaBasil]

Maybe I’ve just been unluckily but on a few platforms I’ve noticed a number of women who disagree with statements like: men are stronger than women. Anyone else? Why is this?
For some it seems like they acknowledge correctly that women’s sport has been held back but then conclude from that that women’s sport just needs time to catch up with men’s or supersede it(!). I’ve even had women say I have self hate because I don’t think the fastest 100m runner will ever be female.
Obviously you can have a woman stronger than a specific man but in general it’s established that men are stronger.
Is this just women trying to win an argument regards issues like males in women’s sport or do a group of women (and maybe men but I only notice women) genuinely believe this? And if the latter, why? Is it a specific type of feminism?

Why is this?

They’re thick 🤷

and best ignored

Playing devil’s advocate but I imagine that they don’t know any men long term (sons, fathers, brothers, etc)

Having raised a son and see how his strength developed around puberty, I find it hard to think otherwise

I think some women think that admitting women are physically weaker than men, means they are inferior. I've also heard men say that women and men can't be equal because women are weaker.

I was at university in the 90s (the time of the ladette) and you were a 'girl' if you showed any inferiority to men. You had to be as good as a man so drink them under the table and act like a lad. This was misconstrued as feminism.

I think they have never had to deal with a physical assault by a man. And maybe watched too many superhero films. Having said that, I didn't appreciate how much boys muscles changed through puberty until I had a son. I think I thought they just went to the gym or did sport but my son's a complete lazybones who does no sport at all and has an enviable set of muscles. There's plenty of research on this but it's not easy to get this through to dimwits on social media.

And maybe watched too many superhero films
😂 I do wonder if films influence some people’s perspective. There are so many where a woman (not even superhero) punches a big burly guy and he falls to the ground.

I think some women think that admitting women are physically weaker than men, means they are inferior
Thats a good point and might be why they push back on it, but it’s really not helpful.

There are so many where a woman (not even superhero) punches a big burly guy and he falls to the ground.

That's the problem with the film industry; not enough women writers. They see women as smaller men.

Is the person saying this a young adult? In which case I would just assume they were unaware of scientific data and had limited life experience which would highlight sex differences.

or ghastly parents shoving nonsense down their child’s throat

I agree that a lot seems to be linking physical strength with superiority.

Physical strength is prized because men have it and men control the narrative of what are good or desirable qualities in a person. Physical strength must be important to men (for status?) if you don’t have it you are inferior. Women are in general physically weaker therefore women must be inferior. It’s bullshit, of course. Physical strength has its uses but a society needs a mix of qualities to be successful. Strength is valued because it ties in deeply with so many men’s self image (I believe).

so some women get angry when it’s pointed out that overall we are physically weaker. But it’s buying male values not saying “so what?” What’s that quote about you can’t destroy the master’s house with the master’s tools?

I don’t know lots about sport but isn’t there evidence women are better at endurance running? (Happy to be corrected) And I’d be curious how mental strength (resilience) compares across the sexes. Theres many different forms of strength, which forms are prized? By who? Why?

TLDR - as usual, who benefits? Women have to step away from agreeing the “best” qualities are the overwhelmingly male ones.

I can remember being astonished when a boyfriend picked me up and ran up a hill carrying me. He was a slight young man with no 'muscles' as I thought at the time. It was just a lark but i realised any man could do the same thing.

I’ve said for a long time that I blame the film and tv industry for this. Since the 90s people have got so used to seeing tiny little women beat up big huge men onscreen (thinking the likes of Marvel movies, Hawaii 5.0 reboot, Castle, the Rookie just as examples). Very worryingly, also seeing women take huge punches and kicks and be unaffected.

Sure people realise it’s fictional, but on some level it still sinks in.

I think it's a combination of misguided feminism where they think that it's unacceptable to admit that there are any differences in ability between men and women and/or a deliberate obfuscation. Because if you admit that there are physical differences between men and women then the whole TWAW thing falls apart.

I have a friend who believes this but she's lucky enough to be 6ft tall and represented her country at sport. Therefore she can "beat" most of the men she meets.

She does things like ask for her (also tall) DD to train with boys instead as she thinks females are not challenged enough and don't try as hard, that's why they do less well.

She did grow up in a v sexist country, so this kind of equality is what feminism looks like to her. I wish she could see that she is in fact completely amazing and worked twice as hard as a lot of the boys she grew up with.

It’s not just the one person and many seem to be adults. Here’s a recent example on Twitter of a sports producer who has worked for the BBC, asking why women and men of the same weight won’t punch the same.

but your friend will not compete against men.

and she will see that the men who do her sport and compete against other men no doubt get better times / lift heavier (whatever her sport is) than the women

So she’s being daft!

The majority of men are physically stronger than the majority of women. There are, as OP says, contradictory individual cases but these are a rarity. I can only assume the women arguing otherwise have never been physically assaulted by a man or the men in their lives deliberately let them win at arm wrestling or whatever!

I have seen so many times women call out men who say men are stronger, it's very common.
Like someone said, I think a lot of people - men and women - equate strength with superiority and who wants to be seen as inferior?

The think with superhero films is definitely a thing. I remember watching Vikings and seeing Lagertha's all female army going up against big, burly warrior men and thinking hmm, even though it's great to see women in these roles.
Similar in The Last of Us, where Ellie is supposed to be a 14yo girl yet is capable of deteating full grown men.

I don’t know lots about sport but isn’t there evidence women are better at endurance running? (Happy to be corrected)

Yes and no. It's definitely a thing. Jasmin Parris broke the record for the Spine ultra race, something like 12 hours faster than the male record, but that record was further beaten by a man this year.
It's certainly not the case that elite women are better than elite men at these extreme endurance challenges, men usually finish first in these events, though there are some exceptional women athletes.
This year 10 men finished ahead of the first woman in the Spine, and there were only two women in the top 30 finishers.

They don't believe what they say/are bad actors or they're ill-educated and/or not very bright.
I'd say the first option is more likely. When I look at those threads/comments, they always sound 'off'.

I bet it's only every women saying this.

There are only two types of men in this world - those who know they're bigger than us and use it to their advantage, and those who know they're bigger than us and don't.

I can't imagine a woman's mindset where she genuinely believes this. Hollywood or no Hollywood, it's a core part of a woman's experience to be the sex that is smaller and weaker. And for the heterosexuals amongst us (this is almost ironic or paradoxical), to be attracted to creatures that you know might harm you.

^ I meant only ever women saying this, not 'every'

Women have to step away from agreeing the “best” qualities are the overwhelmingly male ones.

Absolutely.
It's a simple fact that humans are dimorphic- overlapping bimodal distributions for 'brute strength' qualities (speed, height, muscularity, bone mass....)

OTOH other important physical qualities such a manual dexterity and flexibility may show a different pattern...oddly, these don't seem as lauded ..,

And there is a key physical attribute, absolutely fundamental to the survival of our species which these idiotic naive 'equalists' are evidently undervaluing or completely ignoring (while accusing other women like the OP of self hate ffs!) - men are completely, 100% useless at the huge physical task of growing and birthing a baby.

Interestingly, I've noticed fewer women claiming parity with men's strength since the trans debate has heightened in intensity. I'm pretty sure that if I'd posted on Mumsnet about women's inferior strength around 10 years ago, I would have received a lot more negativity than I would now.

If you want an information overload comparing athletic achievements between teenage boys vs Olympian women then

https://boysvswomen.com/#/

I'm pretty sure that if I'd posted on Mumsnet about women's inferior strength around 10 years ago, I would have received a lot more negativity than I would now.

I agree. I'm surprised at the responses.

I'm surprised at the responses.

The responses now? Why?