A RANT

Over the last couple of days, two people on my flist (maelipstick and tyellas) have posted links to rather similar articles: ones written by women, about women, describing women’s true personalities and needs. The theses seemed to be that women are naturally (because of hormones) disinterested in giving all to their careers, and also that 40-ish women are all desperate to have a family, no matter how some of them might try to lie about it. Generally, the attitude seems to be: women have been trying to conform to a feminism-imposed fashion, but their true natures just keep breaking through.

Now, I respect that this is how some women feel, but I would like to say that:

• These women should stop speaking for me. Surely anybody with any common sense will admit that not all people are alike, or want the same things. This applies to women, as well. (As an example of people-being-different: it would never occur to me to present a falsely feminist facade to myself and others in order to sound more… modern? For starters, I’m just not social-fashion-savvy enough.)
  
• These women should still speak for themselves. Preferably using the first person, instead of making up annoying overgeneralizations. I mean, wasn’t failing to own up to their own needs and desires the problem in the first place?
  
• In fact -- and this came up in Lipstick's LJ -- this sort of reticence about one's own needs, and worry about how people will judge them, is one of the few characteristics I see a lot more of in women than in men. I wish we'd stop this. I mean, no matter what path we choose in life, *someone* is bound to sneer.