NOTE: This is NOT a “man hating” article, as I will post something next week that explores the opposite sex’s challenges.
Many men think that women have it made, but that isn’t necessarily true. There are challenges to being a woman that most men don’t know about and/or appreciate.
Women have it tougher than men realize. There are a lot of issues that women have to deal with that would endlessly frustrate the average gentleman!
There are challenges unique to being a woman, such as:
- Women are held to higher grooming standards. The average guy can get a $7 haircut, wash his face, and go to work or hit the bars. In all likelihood, if a woman tried to pull this off, she’d stick out like a sore thumb. Women have a lot more grooming to do in order to be viewed acceptably by the public at large.
- Hairstyle, makeup, dealing with blemishes and wrinkles, and plucking hairs is more than the average man could deal with each day.
- Women are competitive with each other. Do you think your wife or girlfriend got all dressed up for you when you went out on Saturday? Think again. She may have been more concerned with what the other women would think of her.
- Why do women love dating doctors? Is it the money, prestige, and giving nature of doctors? Could be. But it’s also often about how impressed their girlfriends will be when they find out.
- Women need a lot of clothes. A guy needs a few shirts and a couple of pairs of khakis or jeans. Women would be ostracized for such a primitive wardrobe.
- For example, look at newscasters. The men own two suits, three white shirts, and several ties. A woman that repeats outfits too often is looked down upon as poor and un-trendy.
- Women need a lot of shoes. It’s not just clothing, but also shoes. A guy only needs a pair of brown shoes, a pair of black, and athletic shoes. Such a feat is MUCH harder for women to pull off.
- For example, a female office worker can’t get away with only two pairs of shoes in her life, but a male CEO could.
- Women often carry the brunt of the childrearing and taking care of the home. While there are exceptions, women usually take a greater responsibility for the children and the home. This isn’t always the most exciting of work. They also usually miss the most days for the children but rarely take off for themselves unless they get super sickly.
- Moms frequently take care of the disgusting tasks. Dog vomit? “Tell your mother.” Running noses, diarrhea, pus, bloody knees, and cleaning dirty toilets are more likely to be dealt with by women than by men.
- Women are largely judged by their appearance. An attractive woman with a horrible personality and an expensive drug habit will still get a lot of attention from men. On the other hand, an unattractive woman with a stellar personality and a well-funded 401k often goes ignored.
- Women are held to a different aging standard. A 50-year-old man is often considered attractive by a 35-year-old woman, but the opposite is rarely true.
- There are evolutionary reasons for this, but it’s still a legitimate challenge for women to manage.
- What women are attracted to, and what is good for them, are often at odds. Many women are secretly tortured. They know that the nice accountant that loves his mother is the best choice for them, but most women are much more attracted to the arrogant bad boy that’s left a trail of female carnage in his wake.
- Every woman knows it’s true, but most refuse to admit it.
- In the workplace, women often get paid less than men for the same job. As far as our society has come in working toward equality in the workplace, statistics show that most women still get paid less than men, even when they have exactly the same job responsibilities.
- It’s not just pay but respect as well. Women often work harder to earn the same professional respect as most men give to their male peers.
It’s not as easy to be a woman as most men think. Sure, there are advantages to being a woman, especially a physically attractive woman. However, those advantages come with significant challenges, too.
Both genders will benefit from understanding that the other gender has certain advantages and disadvantages. Life isn’t always easy for any of us!