There are as many opinions on this topic as there are people in this world. Some would argue that men, being men, are stronger both physically and emotionally. Others would argue the point that women are better capable of handling emotionally charged issues, physical pain, and stress. Bottom line, women and men are just plain different. We are wired differently. Women think and react differently from men on various issues, not because we are any stronger or weaker than men, but we approach the issues differently. Men think in the now, the present-“how can I take charge? How can I handle this situation at this moment?’ while women think more in the long term, big picture mode. When confronted with an emotional issue, women tend to look at how the resolution will affect those involved, whil men usually look at the resolution itself as the end result. This does not mean that either side is thinking wrong, but simply put, it takes both to reach a completely thought out resolution. Men and women together can think on the same subject, come up with their own ideas for resolution, and by working together can acheive a better resolution for all involved. While men are more concrete thinkers, and women think on the emotional level, both sides together create a whole. This does not mean that one sex is stronger psychlogically than the other, nor does it mean that one sex is “better” at handling any given situation. There are times when each side respectively is better at handling the issue. I do feel, however, that due to differences in our thought processes, women are better equipped psychologically to handle emotional situations than men. I tend to think this is due to society’s “law” that tells men not to cry, or show any emotion. Men are programmed not to allow their emotions to enter into certain aspects of their lives, while women are “expected” to be more emotional. I feel that as children, we are conditioned to take our “roles” in society depending on our gender, and this is usually unfortunate-men and women could learn a lot from each other by being able to dicuss our differences in comfortable forums. There are differences between men and women, the way we think, react, and resolve issues, but isn’t that what makes us human?
