Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Do I need therapy if I'm theoretically angry at men?

135 replies

NoMoreDickheads · 05/06/2020 13:29

I didn't really think I had a problem with the natural process of working through issues with disrespectful etc experiences I've had with men.

But the last couple of days I've thought, maybe I'm too angry or something?

With men as a concept, based on numerous experiences.

I haven't found the emotion a painful experience over the last few months, I've mostly rolled my eyes at their lameness.

But now I feel a bit of hatred (occasionally I have these interludes, but they mainly just last a couple of days, so maybe I'll just keep an eye out to see if it seems to become excessively long.)

Is the idea of women being 'too angry' a manifestation of society's demands/expectations of women mainly? As a man would only be considered 'too angry' if he was a criminal or something.

OP posts:
NoMoreDickheads · 09/06/2020 09:21

@Dappledsunlight- We don't know how much of it is nature and how much nurture. A lot of it is nurture/culture.

@JudyGemstone I'm glad you're not someone who excuses men. That would be worse.

I can talk sex with my female friends all day, but the second a man mentions sex I just find myself muttering 'is that all you can think about?' (It usually is).

Usually how they mention it is in a way that is creepy. And with the biological reality that most men can overpower women, and/or the reality of a lifetime of hassle at the hands of men, when they say something to a woman about sex it has a different connotation to when two women are talking about it.

I had an emergency plumber let themselves in my (admittedly unlocked) flat door and into my bedroom and he found it funny when I flipped out)

Grr! Even if the door was unlocked, why the fuck would he do that? I would assume he got off on it.

@3LittleMonkeyz Yes, I have had similar experiences, and having a DBS check means very little. I know men who have one who are quite creepy.

Few years later I found out he was mates with a guy I was newish friends with. I told him what A was like/had done to me and other women. His first reaction was 'What? He's a good guy - he's never done anything like that to me...'

@NervousInYorkshire D'oh! I had a bloke who was effectively a Male Rights Activist, he would take the man's/male side in virtually everything. Turns out he was sexually coercive.

If you might have a male partner or son in the future it might be a good idea to work through your feelings

@Etinox I don't think I can have children, and I'm 43 now anyway. I don't think it's to the point where I wouldn't be reasonable to a decent man if one happened to come along (though I'm not looking.) Just I like to think I would ditch one at the first sign of bollox. There are billions of men, so no need to put up with it.

come across plenty of shitty men who have distorted my view of the male gender. I will feel this way until true equality is achieved...(which will never be in my lifetime)

@ukgift2016 It mightn't even be entirely a distortion- how men have acted has formed your opinion of them.

@Inappropriatefemale Yep 'boys will be boys' is bollocks, plus it can be use to excuse/ mean we don't recognize when one is worse than average.

I think lots of us haven’t had relationships with decent men because we don’t feel ‘decent’ enough for decent men, it’s all to do with our self worth and who we choose reflects how we feel about ourselves.

It's not 100% like that of course, some men are wankers and women with any level of self worth can run into one. But self worth can effect how soon we get rid of them. Unfortunately, sometimes the first time we find out one of them is a wrong'un to have any chance of acting on it, is when they rape us or something.

Few years later I found out he was mates with a guy I was newish friends with. I told him what A was like/had done to me and other women. His first reaction was 'What? He's a good guy - he's never done anything like that to me...'

@NervousInYorkshire D'oh! I had a bloke who was effectively a Male Rights Activist, he would take the man's/male side in virtually everything. Turns out he was sexually coercive.

If you might have a male partner or son in the future it might be a good idea to work through your feelings

@Etinox I don't think I can have children, and I'm 43 now anyway. I don't think it's to the point where I wouldn't be reasonable to a decent man if one happened to come along (though I'm not looking.) Just I like to think I would ditch one at the first sign of bollox. There are billions of men, so no need to put up with it.

come across plenty of shitty men who have distorted my view of the male gender. I will feel this way until true equality is achieved...(which will never be in my lifetime)

@ukgift2016 It mightn't even be entirely a distortion- how men have acted has formed your opinion of them.

@Inappropriatefemale Yep 'boys will be boys' is bollocks, plus it can be use to excuse/ mean we don't recognize when one is worse than average.

I think lots of us haven’t had relationships with decent men because we don’t feel ‘decent’ enough for decent men, it’s all to do with our self worth and who we choose reflects how we feel about ourselves.

It's not 100% like that of course, some men are wankers and women with any level of self worth can run into one. But self worth can effect how soon we get rid of them. Unfortunately, sometimes the first time we find out one of them is a wrong'un to have any chance of acting on it, is when they rape us or something.

OP posts:
LightenUpSummer · 09/06/2020 09:41

I think self worth can affect who we choose, but men are always 100% responsible for their abusive behaviour

NoMoreDickheads · 09/06/2020 09:44

Lighten- Of course.

OP posts:
LightenUpSummer · 09/06/2020 10:31

I mention it because there's still sometimes victim blaming Sad Or in more than one case close to my heart, the victim didn't even think there was anything wrong with the domestic violence they were subject to. I fear that even now there will be women who are brought up to think it's acceptable because of a man's inherent superiority (seriously)

MaggieMay1972 · 09/06/2020 11:01

I like men. It was a man who gave me three beautiful children. It was a man who saved my life and the life of my daughter. It was a man who gave me a break and offered me employment when numerous women had turned me down. It was man who recognized I was being underpaid and gave me the biggest salary increase I've ever had when he replaced my old boss, a woman. The only harassment, bullying or violence I've ever experienced have been from women ( I had three girls punch me in the face and hold me down while a forth cut all my hair off - because I had red hair !. The only person who intervened was a MAN ). Finally I've had the good fortune to have been happily married for 15 years to a kind, generous and lovely person, he's a man too. So you'll forgive me if I don't share your theoretical anger of "men as a concept".

Zaphodsotherhead · 09/06/2020 12:30

I also have wonderful sons. I've met good, kind and wonderful men. There are men I can be myself around without fear.

So I don't dislike all men, just because they have a penis. I dislike those who have demonstrated that they think having a penis entitles them to something from me, be that sex, a smile or a cooked dinner.

And they have vastly outnumbered the nice ones, so far.

MaggieMay1972 · 09/06/2020 18:06

I don't know about gifting smiles but I've never been anybodies servant nor have I slept with anybody I didn't want to, with or without a penis.

Zaphodsotherhead · 09/06/2020 18:15

And I too, have never slept with anyone I didn't want to,

Didn't stop lots of men I didn't want to sleep with making me offers, cat-calling me, making unwanted passes and physical approaches though.

Butterer · 09/06/2020 18:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NoMoreDickheads · 10/06/2020 01:29

I've never been anybodies servant nor have I slept with anybody I didn't want to, with or without a penis.

@MaggieMay1972 Lucky you! I've been raped by several men at different times, and had others take advantage of me, have sex with me while I was asleep, headfuck me into sex I didn't want and stuff. It happens and the victim isn't to blame for it or anything. I'm not a unique case.

@Zaphodsotherhead You put it well maybe. I don't hate all men as individuals, but there's a mass of memories of what the wankers have been like. I wouldn't be in a hurry to be alone with one in my home. On the other hand my bestie is male and I'm staying with him during lockdown and it's good so...but he's my ex partner and I did put up with a lot of bollox from him years ago, that nowadays I would excommunicate a man for. Smile

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page