(December 10, 2013 at 10:20 am)Tonus Wrote: I think it's less to do with whether women are passive and more to do with human psychology. We expect certain behaviors from people and when they cross those boundaries we are not sure how to react. If someone takes the lead in reacting to an unusual situation, then everyone else will spring to action.Excellent point. The same is true of nearly ANY unexpected situation- often people will freeze if someone gets hurt, until one person rushes over to help. Then everyone else follows.
However, it is especially true that women are explicitly taught not to make waves and avoid looking shrill.
Quote: There is actually a very small percentage of the population that will react in the manner that we all think we should act in certain situations. Zazzy appears to be one; most women (and even most men) who are accosted in that manner by a stranger would feel very uncomfortable but would not want to "cause a scene" and would accept it while hoping the stranger stops or goes away.It's not natural to me. I just decided in my mid-20s to stop putting up with inappropriate shit from men, no matter what the situation was. Luckily, I am getting to an age where it happens less and less (although I will admit to a small pang of sorrow the other day as I was sitting in my car with my dog with the windows open at a stoplight, and heard kissing noises from the car next to me, and turned to get irritated- and it was a guy kissing at my dog).
Also, I'll say that recently a WAS in a situation that stymied me. I got pinched by an ancient man in a wheelchair in an old folks home in the lunchroom. I just couldn't bring myself to do anything about it- it would have distressed all the nice old ladies so.
