It's so easy to become offended. It actually comes pretty natural. Someone says something. You feel it's directed at you Strong reaction follows No need to react, it's got nothing to do with you as a person Imagine some remarks about academic work versus manual one, a bit dismissive about the latter. You don't have a degree and never wanted one. You know very well it takes years of experience and training to do what you're doing. Talent is involved too, as some people do have "two left hands". You still feel you should add something to the conversation, but not sure if it is going to be well-received. No need to enlighten the other party right now Most people think in terms of opposites. If it's not this, it's that and it can't be anything else. Certainty of one's convictions is also a form of self-reassurance that everything is stable in one's world. Other points of view cannot be allowed because they are disruptive. Cognitive disrup
What an opportunity these days to cure ourselves of the confirmation bias! Sharing the same views with someone else can be a source of comfort. Too much of it leads to mummification.
Naturally, it feels good to be part of a group, it's in our genes. No one would deny that. Apart from families, there is some strong solidarity manifesting itself among people belonging to the same generation or football club.
Does it matter they can have more men than women, or the other way round? Same as families, any socially formed groups are not less of a club or association if one type of chromosome combination is represented in greater numbers.
Or not?
On the internet, new types of communities spring up all the time. Gamers, baby boomers, entrepreneurs, real and fake gurus, you name it.
Choice is enormous. Do men and women gravitate towards one genre or another? Podcast, video, blog? Lecture or dialogue?
It's hard to say, still early days, but there is one distinct advantage in the new digital reality. Men and women alike can join a community without going through the pain of old-world introductions and connections. They are able to take advantage of acquiring now a virtual persona.
With the exception of paid memberships, lots of online groups are truly open by sole virtue of being online, not in a building with doors and locks.
Nothing prevents a suave old lady listening to some strong-language podcast with a male host or a misogynist watching top feminist YouTube channels.
It's not always a comfortable exercise and at times it may cause a rise in blood-pressure. Hard to deny though that there's a real treasure trove of information in the new open world. There will be things never learnt from parents, friends, books and movies.
If Venus listens to Mars and vice versa, who knows what truths may be revealed?
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