I really enjoy brain pickings and sometimes Maria Popova writes some sensational posts. But unfortunately she often uses Viktor Frankl posts which refer 'man'.
When I see the generic 'man' used I often comment that I feel excluded, but of course, we know the generic 'man' is meant to refer to both men and women - or humankind. Nevertheless, I think we could happily substitute 'people' or 'person' in most translated 'men' quotes and not lose meaning because someone who spoke German said that these quotes were bad translations. The exception is if quoting an historical figure who actually used 'man/men' in their quotes.
Anyway, my husband says that this quote cuts both ways, people may choose to either live up to or down to expectations...
But my reading this quote makes me feel completely excluded and is completely different. In this case I think Frankl was only talking about men.
You see, women can never be as they really are, they always must be saintly - imagine a mother not spending 24/7 caring for her child(ren) and if something goes wrong while she is absent!?! - the first question on most people's lips will always be: where was the mother?
If a woman was instead raped, it's because of her carelessness in terms of what she was wearing, if she was drinking or her sexual history.
Or her performance in the workplace must be exemplary - she cannot let down her guard and even then she may be overlooked instead for a much less qualified and even incompetent male, think Clinton and Trump.
So the only acceptable behavior for women is to be saintly.
On the other hand men can be remembered despite being really despicable, think of Andrew Jackson the guy on the US $20 note, probably the note in highest circulation.
Expectations of different behavior for males and females is completely unfair.
When I see the generic 'man' used I often comment that I feel excluded, but of course, we know the generic 'man' is meant to refer to both men and women - or humankind. Nevertheless, I think we could happily substitute 'people' or 'person' in most translated 'men' quotes and not lose meaning because someone who spoke German said that these quotes were bad translations. The exception is if quoting an historical figure who actually used 'man/men' in their quotes.
Anyway, my husband says that this quote cuts both ways, people may choose to either live up to or down to expectations...
But my reading this quote makes me feel completely excluded and is completely different. In this case I think Frankl was only talking about men.
You see, women can never be as they really are, they always must be saintly - imagine a mother not spending 24/7 caring for her child(ren) and if something goes wrong while she is absent!?! - the first question on most people's lips will always be: where was the mother?
If a woman was instead raped, it's because of her carelessness in terms of what she was wearing, if she was drinking or her sexual history.
Or her performance in the workplace must be exemplary - she cannot let down her guard and even then she may be overlooked instead for a much less qualified and even incompetent male, think Clinton and Trump.
So the only acceptable behavior for women is to be saintly.
On the other hand men can be remembered despite being really despicable, think of Andrew Jackson the guy on the US $20 note, probably the note in highest circulation.
Expectations of different behavior for males and females is completely unfair.
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