Battle of the Sexes

12/10/2012

Who is the weaker gender – men or women? Give examples to back up your claims. Be appropriate and respectful.

Kara DeVito link

12/10/2012 08:23:58 am

I know this isn't a very radical perspective, and I do believe mostly everyone will choose this: it depends. Men and women are actually very similar, but stereotypes tend to get in the way of that. Women are typically seen as the weaker ones, and we all know that. Coming strictly from a physical perspective, yes, men are stronger, except those minor exceptions. That's simply how we were made. Socially, men are the dominant gender and have been for centuries. Think about marriages and households. The women takes the man's last name and give that last name to their children. For years, women were supposed to take care of the house and children, while the man went to work to financially support the home. The more rights the women attain, the more equal we'll become.

However, pain is a whole different story. Yes, it is said that childbirth is the most painful thing anyone could endure, and only women have to do it. Which leads one to assume that women can handle pain better than men. That is also seen in sickness. Coming from a personal account, a man was "very" sick one day. He normally wakes up at the crack of dawn, but he ended up staying in bed until 11am. Concerned, his wife comes in and asks him what's wrong, she checks on him and asks him questions about his pain. He thinks he's dying. His wife, on the other hand, tells him he's fine and to wake up, eat something, and take some Tylenol, and the sickness should subside within a few hours. He was expecting her to be all nice and make him soup, but that isn't the case. Personally knowing this woman, she has three children and while she had laryngitis, she had to homeschool, and take care of the kids and the dog. Women have to suck it up especially as mothers. They have other lives to take care of. Men just naturally can't handle sickness well, and immune systems seem weaker. Just look at the death rates. Women tend to live longer than men naturally.

Emotionally, women also tend to be weaker, we tend to be crybabies. Well, it depends: does crying really make someone weak? Women are empathetic and compassionate for people, and that isn't something to get rid of. Everyone needs compassion. Men, from a young age, are taught not to cry. Does that make them stronger by not showing their true emotions?

All in all, one can't pinpoint which gender is weaker. It all depends through perspective, and specific individual exceptions. And in the end, men and women complement each other, and we need both to survive.

Ally Caple

12/10/2012 11:16:20 am

Kara, I like how you added that women tend to be weaker emotionally. But with that said, it all comes back to the social aspect: guys honestly believe they're not allowed to be seen crying. It's said to be "unmanly," which makes women automatically seem weaker. But if I'm being honest... women just tell it like it is.

Brennen Diaz

12/10/2012 12:40:45 pm

There are a lot of true points you bring up Kara. Good examples, especially about the crying part. This shows how society sculpts us. That why do people think that if you cry, you are weak or are too emotional. Although, I believe guys should be more "stable" with their emotions than women, but that is just me.

Camille

12/10/2012 01:30:23 pm

I like how you brought up the point about the different physical and mental pains generally each gender can sustain.

Bridget Borowy

12/13/2012 12:37:03 pm

Great perspecitive Kara! I especially love "the more rights woman attain, the more equal we'll become." I couldn't agree more.

Christina M

12/13/2012 11:43:19 am

Kara I agree with your argument that that you cannot pinpoint which gender is weaker. I like how you used physical and emotional examples.

Trevor Haigh

12/10/2012 09:14:57 am

Obviously, I'm going to have to say that men are the stronger gender, but in reality, there is no one definite gender that rules supreme in strength.

First, let's define what exactly strength is. You can have physical strength, mental strength, strength in willpower, genetic strength, and the list goes on. This brings up an interesting question: how do we define strength? Is it solely physical strength? Mental? A balance of all strengths? The problem is, this debate will never be settled simply because of that fact. There is just too much wiggle room in the definition of strength. I honestly believe that it is impossible to define strength, leaving this debate moot.

Although it really can't be settled, let's delve a little deeper into this topic. Everyone is different; everyone is unique I know, I know. I sound like a cheesy motivational speakers, but it is true. Biologically, each person's genome differs from the next. We each practice different habits, live in different areas, and think different thoughts. All this leads to the development of an individual, and also creates a breeding ground for exceptions to the man vs woman stereotypes. Who's to say that any one female isn't physically stronger than any one male? Who's to say that any one male doesn't have a stronger will than any one female? My point is that there are far too many exceptions to definitively declare one gender as stronger than the other. It just can't happen.

On the other hand, though, this debate brings up many stereotypes about men and women. And, in order for a stereotype to even exist, there has to be some truth behind it. Granted, this truth may be slim and considerably outdated, but it's there. Am I saying that it's enough to continue believing that men are the superior gender and all huMANity should be based on men and all woMEN should serve our every whim? Of course not. Just remember, there are almost 7 billion people on this planet. There are just way too many exceptions to call one gender stronger.

TL;DR: Which gender is stronger? Neither. There are too many exceptions that can blow holes the size of Texas in any stereotype out there.

Nick Casablanca

12/11/2012 06:27:52 am

I agree with you Trevor. I like how you analyze every little detail of it because it all does matter in the end. I also like that you point out that this debate has gone on for a long time.

Shayne Fitol

12/11/2012 09:28:54 am

I agree that strength is too ambiguous of a term to truly define, making it an impossibility to literally prove one's argument about the "stronger" gender to be correct. And I also think that you are right about the many exceptions that come along with whichever side one chooses to argue for, making this a debate that can never truly be settled in favor of one side.

Steve Mahoney

12/13/2012 11:32:23 am

I agree 100% with your answer, neither is the strongest. And way to end it with a bang!

Jackie

12/13/2012 11:34:17 am

I agree with you boys (surprisingly lol) but I really liked how you broke it down Trev. Great job.

Rob Costigan

12/10/2012 10:05:03 am

I just want to start off this blog by saying no hard feelings to all you lovely ladies out there.
For this blog, I am taking the men's side of the argument. As a male organism, I feel obligated to defend our place in this world and would like to say that men are the stronger of the two genders OVERALL. Men do lack in some categories, I will admit, but there are some that men just naturally exceed at, physicality being one of them. Men are just naturally stronger when it comes to physical power. Men are typically known to have more muscle on their body than women. It's just the way it is. Men, I also believe, are more emotionally tamed than women WHEN THINGS GET OUT OF HAND (I put this in all caps describing a situation). Women are known to hold more grudges against someone than men are. While this may be true, women are still less competitive in the field of work than men, a previous study from the University of Chicago shows. This means they are more apt to be able to handle more stressful situations in the workplace, allowing them to make more money, etc.etc.
HOWEVER, I do believe that women are stronger in other areas of life. Let's talk about the largest topic; child birth. It's something I thank the lord that I will never ber able to experience, as most men would feel a little more than uncomfortable to do. I also feel that while the times are changing, women are also beginning to do the things men do as far as the work field and sports, and are making big strides in these particular areas.
So while this subject can be extremely touchy than most, I hope I did not offend anyone and I tried as hard as possible to make this as neutral as possible. So thank you all for understanding and I hope to not receive any hate mail from this.

Amanda Donofrio

12/11/2012 05:21:54 am

I agree in the sense that both men and women have their own strengths and weaknesses. Giving birth is certainly no pain men would be willing to go through! But of course they could spend hours at the gym putting their body through pain to get "big". People go through different forms of obstacles every day that define them as a person. One persons strength may be another's weakness.

andrew lynch

12/13/2012 12:41:35 pm

I feel that men and women will never be able to choose who is the weaker sex because men go though things that women will never have to go though, and women will go though things men never have to. Ex: women go though child birth, and men go though dealing with women in child birth.... which one is actually worse?

Ally Caple

12/10/2012 11:36:41 am

I definitely agree with what Kara had to say about it depending on who's the weaker gender. When I think physically strong, I automatically think men because that's the way old society has made it out to be. But it's clear that now, in the year 2012, that may not always be true. When I think intellectually and emotionally strong, I don't necessarily think of one gender over the other- those are two factors that depend on how a person was raised, it has nothing to do with their gender itself. Just because men are seen to have more power over women (I'm almost positive someone will mention how we have yet to have a female president) doesn't mean anything. It used to, but it doesn't now. Overall, I honestly would say that woman are the stronger gender. They have to go through different situations than men do and tend to form stronger bonds and attachments with people, making them mentally strong. We can always compete with men when it comes to physical or intellectual strength, but they will never be able to create the type of bond a mother makes with their child. I really do think that it's the child aspect that makes women stronger than men. (Plus, not only do we have to deal with our children, we have to learn deal with guys, too. ;) And lets face it... without us, you wouldn't even be here.)

Mrs. E

12/10/2012 02:40:24 pm

Great response.

Lauren Barry

12/11/2012 09:19:35 am

Ally, your comment about not yet having a woman president is an argument I honestly forgot about people even trying to bring up!

Kara DeVito link

12/12/2012 08:07:45 am

Ally, I like how you brought up strong bonds and attachments. I certainly agree that many women usually have this down-pat, but then again that isn't always true. Some women just don't have that ability. It really does depend on the individual's circumstances.

Michaela Ryan

12/13/2012 07:19:49 am

I think that strength is definitely dependent on the person. Like you mentioned that how they're raised affects their character.

Haley Krivensky

12/13/2012 07:24:40 am

I agree Ally, women do have to go through different situations and experiences than men. Most of the time the situations are difficult, and that's something that men don't tend to understand.

Victoria Marino

12/13/2012 01:47:31 pm

Ally you made some great points. I couldn't agree more with what you said. Especially that there are different views of strength, such as physical and mental and emotional.

Trevor Haigh

12/13/2012 08:25:04 pm

I completely agree with you about how most characteristics aren't defined by gender, but by the individual. It's all based on how the person was raised and the decisions they make in their life.

Brennen Diaz

12/10/2012 12:34:06 pm

I believe men and women are created equal. However, society since the beginning has struck done women as incapable and only useful for house work and food making. And it is all quite the contrary. Although they can probably cook a lot better than men. Except now, what you see in 21st century America is that women are more capable than what they even thought they were. You hear of single mothers working and raising four children because their dad walked out. The are running major companies and have their own T.V. shows like Oprah. Women have come a long way.
I also believe that men are stronger physically over all and society has built around that idea. That men should protect women, but that does not mean women are defenseless. Not to mention, I personally would never ever never ever would want to give birth to a child. I ain't doing that and it is not a walk in the park.
Mentally, we are capable of great things for both sexes. Bringing me back to the point that we were created equal and although we have some differences we need each other to succeed in order to insure our survival as a species.

Tim Osborn

12/13/2012 06:13:22 am

Compared to women in history, women now adays, protect themselves much more and are capable of doing much more in society. Good point about Oprah.

Danielle O

12/13/2012 11:10:37 am

I liked your point about Oprah, it's true we have come a long way. Also dying at your response to having children "I ain't doing that"

Richard Katrenya

12/13/2012 10:51:48 pm

I agree with what you say in your reply Brennen, men and woman are like two different sides of the same coin. We are completely different, and we both have our pros and cons. Comparing a man and a woman is almost impossible.

Camille Glasow

12/10/2012 01:29:06 pm

Although women are usually depicted as the more fragile being, I don't believe there is any, one gender that is stronger than the other. There are just gender roles predisposed by society that the human race has generally always expected from people. From birth, we as humans have a set of expectations we're told to follow depending on our gender. Women are seen more as nurturing and soft, while men are seen as the more dominant, strong and forceful gender. If people would get past the predisposed gender typing,men and women, really would be equal. I think humans are the only species that possibly sees women as the more weak gender. In the animal world, females and males are equal with each other, so humans' belief that women are weaker than men is solely a societal predisposition. On the physical standpoint most men have bodies more capable of having large muscles, but women can be very physically strong too. In the end, weakness or strength all comes down to the individual's body, upbringing and mindset.

Kaitlyn

12/13/2012 11:00:09 am

I like your point about how strength depends more on the person than their gender, even though people expect women to be weaker.

Amanda Donofrio

12/11/2012 05:16:28 am

Men are tougher, but women are undoubtedly stronger. No disrespect to men, but women are continuously tossed obstacles to overcome that men would be anything but prepared to handle. We may cry uncontrollably at times or complain about imperfections but that does not define women as weak. It shows how passionate a person can be by the way they express themselves. If you believe men are stronger mentally because they are not as opt to show their emotions, you’re mistaking. Just because they do not cry, for instance, as much as women, does not justify them for being strong.
Women often are thrown in a whirlwind and left to fight for themselves. We learn this at a young age by all of the situations we have to deal with and it only gets worse with age. For example, by the time you’re ready for marriage, a baby comes fast with it. We all know how hormonal a pregnant woman can be. Of course no man will ever have to deal with the struggles that come with that! Just a few more things girls have to deal with that men are fortunate enough not to: labor, makeup and hair in the morning/every morning, girl drama, when boys play call of duty for hours on end, when you have a whole closet of clothes but "nothing to wear" etc. Let’s see men experience any of the listed and see how they would respond.
Men can be mistaken for strong in situations when women or family come to them when they are having a tough time and in need of a shoulder to cry on. I am sure if you are a girl you have looked to a man for support, or if you are a guy you have had a women come to you to be there for them. This is an act to me. Seeing someone else hurt will of course break you down too. It is an illusion when guys don’t shed a tear because deep down they must want to cry uncontrollably like women do.
When it comes to men being strong, I often think of their physical capability instead of their mentality. When you need a handy person for help, you call a man. They are looked to for maintenance, electronics, yard work, etc. They are capable to do most of what is asked of them because they are physically strong. Let’s see women try to do any of these jobs and see how they would respond.
It all comes down to the specific gender and their own strengths and weaknesses that define them as strong.

Rob Costigan

12/12/2012 12:19:37 pm

I like the way you used both strengths and weaknesses for both genders. There really is no wrong answer when this question is asked. I have full respect for the tasks that women go through and a woman's mind is extremely strong.

Amber Murray

12/14/2012 12:32:19 am

You have so many great points. Women definitely do handle a lot more emotionally then men do.

Nick Casablanca

12/11/2012 06:34:30 am

As much as I should defend my gender, I do believe that men are stronger than women or vice versa.

I'm trying not be a copy cat as best I can, but it is true no one is stronger than the other. Everyone has a different strength than other. Not even, every strength of a person can be looked at one way or another. For example, he could be stronger than her or she can be stronger than him either physically, mentally, or just in general.

To wrap this up, everyone is equal. No man is stronger than any woman or vice versa. In a totally different opinion, this debate should be dropped because after a while it will get annoying and become pointless to talk about because this topic is a never ending debate.

Mrs. Elbakry

12/11/2012 07:04:00 am

I disagree, Nick. Some people live their lives very close-minded about the opposite sex. This is a perfect opportunity to enlighten them, if they are among the us. Defend your gender!

Lauren Barry

12/11/2012 09:06:00 am

Although it may seem like such a simple answer, the solution to this question is neither. The question is simply asking which sex is weaker: male or female, and really that cannot be answered with such little information. The strength of a person is not based on their gender at all. Whether we are discussing physical strength, emotional strength, or mental strength the level of tolerance, or strength depends on the person, not their gender. On a physical level, a woman can be just as strong as a man. Yes, naturally males have a more “powerful” physique, but with proper training a female can be just as strong, maybe even stronger. Some women even better my argument, some women are built naturally husky, some even to the point of the strength of a man. This being said, if a woman has every ability to be just as physically strong as a man, and a man can be as strong as a women, who are we to declare a stance on this argument when in fact, gender has nothing to do with physical strength, personality and perseverance creates it. Like I mentioned before, not only is there physical strength, but there is also mental and emotional strength. Just like physical strength, mental and emotional strength depends just as much on individuality. Every man and woman has walked a different path in their life which has most likely caused them to react the way they do. With the environment we have grown up in playing such a serious role in the shaping of our mental and emotional “strength” how can anyone make such a sound decision on who is “stronger?” For example, say we have two adults, a female who grew up in poverty and with incredible family hardships and a male who grew up with great wealth and supportive parents. The adult female seems to be more openly sensitive to emotions whereas the male seems to take things in a more carefree sense. Who are we to judge that this female is suddenly weaker than the male because she has not come from the supportive environment like the male. Yes, you can argue that males are taught not to cry all you want, but some females are taught that as well. For the sake of any more explanation, my personal opinion on this question is neither sex is stronger than one another. Personal strength comes from who we are and where we come from, not from the gene in which we are given during conception.

Kaitlyn Twombly

12/12/2012 08:03:18 am

For the record, I did not read this before writing my own post! Our views are very similar, Lauren. I too do not believe that this is an answerable question. There are too many other factors that play into the strength of someone and using gender as a gauge is almost irrelevant. Strength is not related or based upon gender whatsoever.

Shayne Fitol

12/12/2012 07:51:30 am

I commented earlier on Trevor's post saying that strength is not a term that can be truly defined to the point where this argument can be decided, with the same being true for weakness. I also said that the vast amount of exceptions that can counteract arguments make this a never-ending battle that can never be definitively decided. However, having said that, I do believe that men have an advantage in the gender battle.
I am not going to use the Presidential lineage to backup my argument, as there is bound to be a female president in the not too distant future. Also, history is not that valid of an argument. Although women were typically less powerful, not all civilizations acted this way. One society that went against the typical ways was the Maya Civilization, which actually had powerful female leaders. So it all depended on the type of people, which still holds true today.
One argument that is valid, though, is that men are physically stronger than women. While individual females may be stronger than individual males, we are not talking about individuals in this argument. We are talking about sexes in general. So when taking the most physically dominant members of both genders as a whole and comparing them, men come out on top in this category of the word "strength." I probably don't need to explain further, as most people would agree to this, but just in case, look at Olympic records. Compare men and women in weightlifting, track (Usain Bolt), swimming (Michael Phelps), basketball (Michael Jordan), etc. And while sports isn't the only way to judge physical strength, it is the quickest and easiest, while still being reliable.
Yes, women do have childbirth on their side in this debate. Most men would not even dare think about going through that, and it does create some special sort of bond between mother and child. But this does not mean women always form closer bonds and have closer, more intimate relationships with children than men do, automatically making them stronger in this area. Take the Aka tribe in Africa, for example. "While the women hunt, the men look after the babies." So while the mom may have given birth to the baby, it is the dad that looks after it, protects it, and comforts it. And for all of those dads that have walked out on their families, many women do it too. It's not like guys are the only people that abandon their kids, although from what you hear, it sure sounds like it. And then there's Casey Anthony (yeah, yeah, I know she was acquitted). And then there's Susan Smith. And then there's Andrea Yates. I am not saying that all women are like this. I am not saying that many women are like this. All I am trying to convey with these examples is this: there are a ton of exceptions and counterarguments that can be made to practically every male-female superiority stance.
As for the emotional strength argument, I do not think there is a dominant side. Women do cry more, but does that always mean they are weaker? Sometimes? Yes. Always? No. Women do tend to freak out more when things go wrong, but does that mean that men do not get nervous? No, some are just too worried about looking tough to show what they are really feeling.
In the overall argument of strength, the winner will never be definitively chosen, and that is not because of the new "everyone is a winner" craze. It is because of the broad definition of the word. And with regards to the many sub-categories of strength, the only one I see a clear advantage in is physical strength, and even that margin is shrinking. Look at Brittney Griner, the dominant women's college basketball player. She is making great strides for the female physicality argument. But when it comes down to it, she is still not as good as her male equivalent in either Anthony Davis or Nerlens Noel. Even though women are getting better, the gap is not shrinking all that much.

Kaitlyn Twombly

12/12/2012 08:00:15 am

I do not believe that there is a solid answer to this question. In my eyes, there are two types of strength, one being physical and one being mental. Physically, men are stronger with no question. They are simply built with more muscle naturally than women are and that will never change. Mentally, I would have to say that overall women are stronger simply for the reason that they give birth to children and form stronger bonds. Many men frankly would not be able to handle the load that a woman raising children, working, and running a household would. I say this because I have seen it first hand. Even though I say that I have witnessed this, I have a very difficult time dubbing one gender as stronger than the other, even when looking at specific categorizes such as mentality and physicality. I have met women who are physically stronger than a certain man, and additionally know certain men who are without a doubt mentally stronger than a handful of women. To conclude, there are just too many exceptions to this argument to really tell which is stronger. I don't think that one gender is stronger than the other. If someone wanted to compare strength, it would need to be more centered around the people themselves and not their genders. Gender is almost irrelevant because the entire male population will never be even close to the same, and same for female. People are individuals; therefore, you can't compare strength solely of males versus females.

Christina Buswell

12/13/2012 11:12:04 am

I agree, I believe there are different types of strength

Chris Faber

12/12/2012 02:21:14 pm

Truthfully I cannot simply state who the weaker gender is because there is no right answer. It is typical for a man to say men are stronger just as it is typical for a woman to say women are stronger. However I am actually rather surprised to see many unbiased answers. A lot of people seem to have a neutral feeling about the strengths and weaknesses of men and women. I certainly agree that men and women do have specific strengths and weaknesses.
The problem facing our society today when discussing the "battle of the sexes," is the way our past has sculpted our present. By this I mean to say that throughout history women have been denied rights and power as we all know. On the other hand, men have been put on a pedestal so to speak. If this blog were to be posted in the early to mid 1900's, there would be no question as to who was the stronger gender. That being said, I believe our past influences our ideas of women and men today in a way that should not even be considered. Women have slowly but surely made their way to the top right along side with men. It would be illogical to say men were stronger than women and vice versa.

Dan Mott

12/13/2012 07:32:09 am

I like how you said our past influences inflict our present ideas. I alos agree to the fact that is likely for men to say men stronger and women say women. Good job CHRISTOPHER

Kristina Lacasse

12/13/2012 07:48:37 am

I agree with the facts that people tend to support their own gender. I was also surprised by the amount of unbiased posts.

Katheryn B

12/13/2012 08:29:53 am

I agree with you Chris that our past influences what people think about men and women's strength today.

kyle blake

12/13/2012 10:23:37 am

True about how women have certain strength that men do not have.

Jeremiah Burr

12/13/2012 12:34:30 pm

I agree with you

andrew lynch

12/13/2012 12:37:43 pm

I agree that generally people tend to choose based on what gender they are. I personally feel that it is because of insecurity of their own gender

Justin Leone

12/13/2012 02:20:27 pm

You bring up many good points and I agree with you completely.

Tim Osborn

12/13/2012 06:06:45 am

At the beginning of history men were portrayed as the stronger individual. The men would go out to work, often a blue collar job, and the women would stay home. But, times have changed. There is no one real strong gender. Individuals have made themselves to be self sufficient. Women do all the same things men do now. They can hold any job they want, wether it is an office job or it is being a machanic. If you really wanted to get technical about strength you can just look at the Olympics as and example. Both men and women compete in the same events that do the same exact thing. It doesn't matter how you look at it, men and women in society today are both looked at as strong people. If not that person is ignorant.

Haley Krivensky

12/13/2012 07:09:26 am

I don't believe that one gender is weaker than the other really. Yeah, it is probably statistically proven that men work out/exercise more than women, making it seem as though they are stronger. However, 'pumping iron' does not make men stronger as people than women. I'm not saying women are stronger emotionally by any means, though. It really depends on how the person was raised, what experiences they dealt with, their values, and their beliefs. Typically boys are raised believing that showing emotions/crying is unmanly and a sign of weakness. But not everyone is raised that way, and some people deal with things differently than others. The same goes for girls. Although we pms once a month and are emotional train wrecks, some of us might not show any emotion at all. Some people are just emotionally stronger than others. The same goes for being physically stronger than others. A woman can push herself to be just as strong as any man, and a man could cry just as much as any woman would. There really is no saying which gender is weaker or stronger than the other.

Zach Antonio

12/13/2012 01:10:51 pm

I like how you refused to over-generalize with your response. There are always exceptions, and you can't group people together based off of sex. A very good qualify.
P.S. I like your hair

Katie Mitchell

12/13/2012 01:21:39 pm

I like how you brought up the fact that it depends on how a person was raised. I agree with you.

Michaela Ryan

12/13/2012 07:17:02 am

To pin strength to a gender is difficult, because everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. I'm sure everyone has heard the quote, "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." The same applies with strength. While men are scientifically proven to be more physically able than women, women are most often better at cooking, cleaning ect. Of course there are exceptions, but for the most part these ring true.
Despite this, I think there is some truth to the idea that men are the stronger gender. People say that we see them this way because that's the way society sees it... but we are society, and if we see it that way there must be some truth to it. We not only see this trend in humans, but animals as well. The leader of a group of animals is always the alpha male. He is the strongest, biggest, and smartest, and no one questions it. Yes, there are alpha females as well, but she would never challenge a male because she knows his strength. This trend is seen throughout different species all over the world. In our world, the alpha male is the father of a family, or the leader of a group. Everyone is strong in some way, but I believe that men are ultimately stronger than women.

Mrs. Elbakry

12/13/2012 08:31:20 am

Well said, Michaela.

Meghan Giannettino

12/13/2012 01:31:46 pm

Michaela I agree that everyone is strong and weak in their own ways.

Dan Mott

12/13/2012 07:30:48 am

Men and women are equal, when looking at what side is "stornger." Men are usually physically stronger and emotionally, but then you look at women who seem to be more strong in the work field and intelligence. Women experience things that men will nver, so therefore, men will never be able to say they're stronger.
Looking at men through a social stereotype, they are supposed to be a tough, rigor character who is better than women. That is compeltelty false. It is a false image put into eveyones mind. or the fact that all relationships the man is stronger or vise versa and evrything will be alright like in the movies. It is a fantasy life, that will never occur.
There is no weaker gender, so speaking. However, men and women both have strengths above the other genders and lack in other areas, considered their weakness. For example, men are strong in work, hands on activites and sports. Women are strong in sports, work, parenting, schooling.
Intelligence is a definite factor. I mean typically, people would probably think of smart people as being guys, like Einstein, Hawking, James Badas. However, both genders cna be equally smart. many times intelligence is associated with social status. In that situation, women have the upper hand. Tkae politics for example. Yes, the president is male, but think of other high up correspondents, Clinton, Rice, Pelosi.
It is biologically correct for men to argue women are weaker and visa versa. However, it really is to close of a line in the sand to call a clear winner. Women have their secrets and coniving ways that sometimes are bold and powerful, and other times sweet and attractive. Men more often than not have similar ways.
Another fact to think about. No matter what gender is in power, in any situation there is an open window for the power to be abused. An example for two genders even though one nationally known and the other local, Watergate scandal, with Nixon and for women Guillete with the fraud at Oxford's Tax Office. Everyone will always want power and then once achieved take advantage.

Kristina Lacasse

12/13/2012 07:44:36 am

There are two ways of being strong: mentally and physically. As humans, society plays an important role on thinking. Men are the supposed provider and women are the supposed homemaker. This is modern day and not true.
Despite the stereotype the females have of being a homemaker, this is not even the easy way out. Women have to fill the hard the job of being a mother. Anyone that has ever babysat or watched a newborn through young childhood knows that children are hard to handle. It is hard physically and mentally. I know men that won’t approach a baby in fear of snot flying at them.
Men are considered stronger physically. However there are women that can compete equally as males, such as when girls are on boys’ teams. If you take athletics in considered, for the Olympic 50m butterfly swimming event, the difference between the top men’s time and the top women’s time is 2.64 seconds. That is not enough time to read half of that last sentence.
Many people can classify pain tolerance to determine weakness. I agree with Kara and believe that women handle pain much better than men. Even if you excluded childbirth, women can endure sickness and pain for longer. I also know males that have called in sick for work because of a tummy ache.
Women are more emotionally involved with many situations therefore they are more emotional. This is the main reason why women are perceived as being weak.
In the end, everyone is different and has different abilities. I think to define one gender as stronger or weaker would be grouping the whole gender together. Despite this grouping, there still can be exceptions to the groups.

Katheryn B

12/13/2012 08:25:31 am

Men vs. Women. That is a difficult question to answer. I say that men and women are just as equally as strong in anything they do, politics, sports, or work.
Through out time men were in charge until women fought back. Men were the ones who would bring home food, go out to vote, and be the one who protected the family. Back then women stayed home, cleaned the house, and took care of the children. Now men mostly do the same thing, they get involved in politics, work, and protect the family along with staying home to clean or take care of the children. Women still clean and take care of the children but they also go out and vote, work, and some even protect the family. They are equally as strong as the other gender today.
Even though they are equal women are still looked down upon and are considered weak. There are many men who think that women should stay at home and take care of the house. Today men still think of women in the traditional manners of the past. Today thought, women and men are considered equal and that is the way that it should be.

Alex M

12/13/2012 12:18:54 pm

Katheryn I agree with your closing sentence that men and women should be considered as equal. However I do not agree with the rest of that paragraph. While there are obvioulsy men who look down upon women, there are just as many women who look down on men. It is unfair just to come out and blatantly say that men look down on women and then go and reiterate that opinion in three different sentences without a concession adressing the other side of the argument. In fact, those three sentences alone imply that women look down on men and depict them as stubborn sexists who are stuck in the 1700's when in reality very few men still think that way.

Kyle Blake

12/13/2012 10:22:07 am

Both genders were made to create a perfect world.It also depends on how you were raised. There are many different lifestyles. Women do certain things that men do not want to do, like laundry or cleaning the house. It is too boring for us. Plus, most men could careless about a spotless home. This is where women are strong. They like to have the cleanest house and to not be seen as being dirty. Men have the same aspect, but with the yard. Men like to see the grass cut the shrubs trimmed and to use anything with a motor. At least in my house, anything that has to do with a motorized vehicle like a tractor or car, all of the guys in my family want to drive the tractor. However, knowing that the inside and outside is covered, the whole house is now clean looking, both inside and outside.

Kaitlyn

12/13/2012 10:57:47 am

I don't believe one gender or the other has too much of a natural advantage, but women are often perceived as weaker. Because of this, it is harder for women to get positions in politics, or even in some businesses. So although I don't think that as individuals women are weaker than men, as a group, it seems like they have less power in our society. This is not nearly as big of a problem as it had been even fifty years ago, but many still see women as weaker.

Physically, it is true that men are stronger. This had been necessary in the past when life depended on people doing physical work more than it does now. Currently, very few of the highest paying jobs or most influential positions require much physical strength. Men do have the advantage of being stronger, but what use is an advantage if it is becoming less and less necessary to our society?

Most of the traits that matter more now in business and politics do not favor men over women, for example intelligence or creativity.

Maria Castelot

12/13/2012 11:02:22 am

I feel like this is a trick question. It's almost like the question of who came first the chicken or the egg? People can argue about it for hours and both can bring up good points. The answer to this question, however, is quite simple in my opinion. Both genders are equal. Sure, men are obviously physically stronger than women and there are scientific studies to back that up but women have a strong mind set and are circumspect. Society stereotypes both genders and people are deluded by what others say.

Danielle O'Banner

12/13/2012 11:08:34 am

Although I could go with the very cliché "women have babies therefore we are stronger" defense I won't. As far as society goes, men are stronger. That is how it has always been, yes women fair well in the working world but men predominately run things like businesses, politics, etc. I personally prefer men running businesses and politics, could you imagine having a menopausal ridden woman running a country? Let alone a business?! As far as mentally, it is very equal. Women tend to be more open about emotions and insecurities, but men are just as emotional they just channel it into different things. Physically speaking, men are stronger but that is because that is how society has molded us. And lets be honest no dude wants their girlfriend resembling John Cena, it's just not cute. I mean look at me, not only I am incredibly good looking, but I'm a genius, and I can cook, therefore I am the alpha ;). Overall both genders are created equal, it's up to them what they choose to do with it, if a woman chooses to be a housewife or a working woman that doesn't add or detract from their strength, and same goes for men. Defining yourself doesn't make you weaker.

Christina Buswell

12/13/2012 11:19:19 am

It depends on how you define weak. If we are talking physical strength as in athletics, in my opinion, men are typically stronger and faster. It's just how they are created. However, there is another side to physical strength. A woman's body endures much more than a man's body. The obvious examples being menstruating and child birth. Woman can endure much more pain simply because our bodies are exposed to that kind of physical pain.
If we are talking mental strength I would say there is no measure of who is stronger and who is weaker. There are plenty of woman who are smarter than men and vice versa. I would say that woman bring a different perspective and a different way of thinking to a situation. For example, my mother and her team were working on a fairly large project that they had to present to a board of counsel members. They ran into a few problems and the men on the team could not seem to find an adequate solution to the problems. Once my mother and the women workers looked at the problems they had a different view on the situation and were able to think of a few solutions. This isn't to say that the male workers were dumb or incapable they were just looking at the situation with a different mindset. I believe men and women think very differently. So in conclusion, I would say that you must first define the terms in which you are measuring weakness, because men and women are very different.

Jess Fedak

12/14/2012 12:42:42 am

I agree completely! Men and women are so different and have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Dan k

12/13/2012 11:23:01 am

Although this could be very contraversial, i think that men are the stronger of the two genders. There is many arguements against this, but men have been dominant thoughout history. They have been leaders, rulers, and emporers. Women in power have been disrespected for years against their ability rule, but the reason for that is simple. The first three womens rulers ended in control, overpowerment of their control, and their ultimate death. So what i am trying to get at with this is that, women have been put into the place where they can make many more decisions in society since the start of america. They have the choice to have childbirth and go into the military. Men have been drafted and have endured many more hardships especially in warfare. Although i am a male an obviously want to support my gender, I looked at the hardships that women have to endure and to me all they have to deal with emotional conflicts. Although that might seem to be a strong enough argument against a true dominant sex, death is much worse than anything that i can think of.

Steve Mahoney

12/13/2012 11:29:32 am

Which gender is better? Male, female...it doesn't really matter. There will always be ongoing debates about this topic. Each gender has their own advantages and disadvantages, strengths and weaknesses. For example, men tend to be physically stronger than women. Men seem to be less emotional (or they are just holding it in.) Women are more easily upset and they are very independent (at least they seem to be.) Each gender has its ups and downs, to choose which one is better just isn't possible. It's too general of a question. If you narrowed it down and asked about a specific topic that would be easier. I know people will say men are better and some will say women are better, the truth is, neither are better overall. There is a nice balance between the two genders.

Jackie Ortiz

12/13/2012 11:32:45 am

Really, when it comes down to it, there really isn't a weaker gender because both genders have different weaknesses. Of course the feminist in me wants to say that men are indeed the weaker sense. But as I stated before, it is hard to judge because we act different in different situations. For example, when most men get upset they can compose their emotions and make it seem that nothing is wrong, but really they are steaming. Women wear their emotions on their sleeves. you will visibly see that a woman is angry or hurt. I for sure will let my emotions be known, especially if it is with a significant other. Women are naturally more emotional creatures, whereas men are taught not to show signs of weakness and to definitely not cry. Which I think is completely wrong, even though I myself HATE crying, but it is natural and has to be done. However, women deal with things that men will never have to go through. Even though they say they go through difficult things, okay yes, but please when you push a baby out of a very small place, come speak to me. we are responsible for carrying and developing a new life. it is amazing! Men would not be here if it wasn't for the woman who carried him, however, we do need the men in our lives. I can fully admit to being weaker in some areas and have no problem with it, but for the most part we are equals. And like the saying says, "Men can't live with them, but can't live without them."

Alex M

12/13/2012 12:04:25 pm

After reading all the other comments, it is clear that men and women both possess mental and physical attributes that the opposite does not. And, for the most part, I agree with everything my peers said. However I think that men should be accredited to more than just being "big" as someone mentioned above. And on the same note, I think that everyone should get passed the idea of women giving birth as their only strength. There is much more to men and women than simply getting "big" or giving birth. Both of those examples are attributed to genetics (men's increased testosterone makes them stronger, and women are obvioulsy the only ones who can give birth.) That being said, these are the last things that should be brought into this discussion. When discussing strength and weakness, I believe that gender should not even be mentioned. Stength is all mental, and it varies on the individual. I have seen "jacked" guys buckle under pressure which would make them mentally weak. And at the same time I have seen 90 pound girls rise to the occasion (whether it be sports, school, or morality) which would make them physically strong.

Christina Martinelli

12/13/2012 12:30:28 pm

I do not feel that there is a weaker gender. Both genders have areas in which they are stronger than the other however, it also depends a lot on the individual. For the most part men are bigger and more muscular than women making them physically the stronger gender.Men are also stronger when it comes to handy/around the house work. For example, It is more common to see men working on cars and mowing the lawn.

Although women might be physically wekaer than men they are emotionally stronger than men. Although women cry and show more emotion than men do they can tolerate a lot more. Long ago women did not have rights so they basically did all the "dirty" work while their husbands worked in offices/factories. The women were controlled by their spouses and could not show off their intelligence or voice their opinions because women were inferior to men.

Childbirth also levels the playing field when it comes to which gender is stronger. Women go through hours of physical and emotional pain while in labor. This type of pain can not be compared to any type of pain men face. That being said it is extremely difficult to formulate a solid opinion on which gender is weaker.

Alyssa Ferreone

12/14/2012 12:39:03 am

I agree with you. Both genders have areas where they are stronger than the other.

Jeremiah Burr

12/13/2012 12:33:47 pm

I do not think that gender really matters. i think that it is the capabilities of the person that really make a difference. You could make references either way about how one sex is better than the other but i think that it does not matter when compared to the abilities of the person. each person has their own capabilities that help them through out their lives, and it is these abilities that will determine what a person is capable of, not what gender statistics say. There are many things that each gender have done to prove themselves superior to the other but they do not matter. it is your own individualism that truly defines whether you are better or worse than someone else.

Andrew Lynch

12/13/2012 12:34:16 pm

All throughout history, men have been looked at as superior to women. Hundreds of years ago, the man would go out hunting for food, or fighting in battles, and the women would stay home and take care to the house and kids. As time has passed this standard has been slowly going away. In the past recent years, it is becoming more common to see women working full time jobs along with the men, or even in some cases, instead of the man. So in the area as to who is the strongest provider to the house and family I would say it’s a tie. It is also starting to become common for women to be members in the military, police, and fire departments. The only differences are women do not need to reach the same standards as men. In most fire departments, men are required to be able to lift and carry a two hundred pound person, where as women are only required to pull that weight. Women also are not required to run as fast as men in all three departments I listed so I would say that men are dominant in the category of physical fitness. Last, men tend to bury emotions, where women let their emotions out a little at a time. Men will keep burying their emotions until one day they have a breakdown, and then just don’t know what to do, and this leads to women basically saying "shut up", and taking control. So women win the emotional side of this argument. Over all, I think it is impossible to say who is the strongest, but I would say that it is pretty close to equal

Bridget Borowy

12/13/2012 12:48:15 pm

Like many others believe, I think it all depends on what the specific thing is about a gender that one is talking about. Some men are weaker than women, yet some women are weaker than men. It all depends. We know that physically men are naturally built to be stronger than women. They are taller, generally have more muscle mass, and are able to handle physical situations extremely well. Most women just cannot compare. The emotional aspect is completely different however. One cannot always believe or ignore stereotypes. Sometimes they really are true. I would agree that many girls are weak emotionally. They get attached, they care too much, and freak out over nothing. However, there are also so many girls who do not fit that stereotype at all. Some women are extremely emotionally strong. Guys seem to always be emotionally strong, but I think many of them put off to be that way because of the stereotype that men are not allowed to be weak cry babies. They're programmed to think that showing emotion is weak. However, in reality, we all break down and cry every now and then, our lives just have to be in a sad or emotional time for some people to cry. As far as the myth about women being able to handle pain more because of childbirth? Well, when someone comes up with a way for a man to be able to experience that, that thought will quickly change. Its a poor assumption. Guys are incredibly intolerant to pain, and so are some girls. I can say from personal experience that I have a very high tolerance for pain. Sometimes I think other people wouldn't be able to handle feeling how my body does everyday. So, all in all, it depends on what quality a person is talking about the gender to determine who is weaker.

Katie Mitchell

12/13/2012 01:18:13 pm

Both men and woman have their own strengths and weaknesses, but in the end we are all human. There is no right answer to this question. Men have the upper hand when it comes to strength. They physically have a bigger build then woman do and usually put it to use. For example, you don't see many women working in construction, or the army, or anything like that. Men take the lead when it comes to physical strength, but woman have more mental strength. As woman, we are always looked down upon and considered weak, when in reality, woman are the ones that hold everything together. They are mothers- the one to punish their children to teach them a lesson, the one to be at every school event, the one to be there when you need a shoulder to cry on or when you need advice for something. They have the most important job in the world: to be a mother. It is not an easy job, as though it may seem like it, to just cook and clean all day. It is much more then that. Like Brennan said, there are mothers who raise families all on there own because the father walked out on them. As woman, we know when to be strong. Although we have a break down once and a while does not mean we are weaker than men, we are just more open to showing our emotions on the outside then men are. That being said, there is no stronger gender. Men and woman are created equal.

Meghan Giannettino

12/13/2012 01:29:39 pm

Over the years society has said men have always been the dominant gender, but today if you ask more people will say women are the superior gender. As I see it we equally the same, it's just how you play your cards. Women today are in much higher powered positions and have over come a lot of obstacles in the the pasted decades. On the other side Men have equal proven their strength mentally and physically over the years. It all depends on who you become or what you make of yourself. To decide if you are the weaker or dominant gender. I know for me sometime I wish I wasn't a girl other times I'm very happy I am a female. When you get down to it, it is equally hard to be ether sex. So whether which sex is weaker than the other we're both strong and weak in are only ways that equal out in the end.

Victoria Marino

12/13/2012 02:01:40 pm

Depending on your gender, I think views on strength will vary. For instance, woman look at strength as being emotional and mental. Where as males will tend to look at it physically. In the physical sense I think it is obvious that in most cases, males are thought to be stronger. We have been taught that back in the day, the men were the ones who did all the physical work and had all the power. Times have changed but I think in some ways it has still stayed the same. Men are still looked at to do the labor around the house and do the physical work which requires more strength. But in the mental and emotional sense, woman are much stronger. In most cases, woman are much more emotional than men. They go through a lot of hormonal changes which tend to make them very extremely crazy and emotional but I think that all the crazy emotions turn to make them stronger. They can handle tougher battles which they are put through mentally and they can over come their emotions. Where as men sometimes don't know how to show their emotions and tend to break down. Both genders are going to have different views on the topic but overall I think woman can over power a man any day.

Justin Leone

12/13/2012 02:17:03 pm

Personally I believe there is no weaker sex. Women are very strong, and sometimes stronger than men. For instance, women give birth. That may sound mundane but it seems like a hard task to undergo. And from what I've heard thats something I'd never want to experience. On the other hand, men are usually physically stronger and in some cases mentally stronger too, not that women aren't. For example men seem to handle some violence and death better than the average woman. I say that because mainly men fight on the front or hottest spots in a war. Not to mention the amount of video games, movies, and so on that includes killing or some sort of violence. However I feel both men and women are equally as strong as one another, just in several different ways. Therefore, a weaker gender can never be determined.

Richard Katrenya

12/13/2012 03:03:55 pm

The winning vote could either go the males, or the females. When thinking of my response, I thought about it purely in a survival point of view. At one end, men are better and stronger than women physically. The average man has a larger muscle mass, longer limbs for leverage and torque, and have a more robust and larger bone structure than the average woman, all because of testosterone. They are able to fight back against predators faster, stronger, and more efficiently than a woman could. That is great and all, but on the other hand though, lacking brute strength, the women have their own advantages. In place where the men's muscles are, women have more fat reserves, giving them the ability to survive in times of famine longer and pose a better chance of survival than men that way. Not only that, but it is scientifically proven that women have a higher threshold for pain than men due to the fact that they were built to give birth. These advantages over men give women equal ground in the battle against the sexes.

Sure you could say that throughout time, men have always been the ones who brought home the bread and butter. They have always been the ones who went out hunting, or went out to get a job, and did whatever it took for he and his wife to survive, but that is only because men and woman were built differently, each with their own specific purpose. Both man and woman have their pros and cons, they are sort of like the same side of one coin. One is designed for fight, the other designed for flight.

Physical limitations or lack thereof does not make one gender better than the other, but rather what's inside is what makes someone greater than somebody else.

Alyssa Ferreone

12/14/2012 12:37:43 am

As much as I hate to admit it, I think men are the stronger gender physically. Men were just made to be the workers and they are stronger and tougher than women. I think that men are the protectors and the breadwinners while women were more created for bearing and raising children. However, when it comes to mental strength, women take the crown. Women are generally more strategic than men. I think women are smarter than men because they generally mature before them. Women mature at a younger age than men and they have a better understanding of the real world and how to take care of themselves. I think it's just obvious that men are more muscular and physically fit than women. However, I think women are mentally stronger than men. Both sexes have advantages but they would both be nothing with out the opposite sex.

Jess Fedak

12/14/2012 12:41:05 am

I believe that men and women were created equal. There are certain skills that men are superior at and certain skills that women are better at. It is a fact that most men are physically stronger than women. Their body types are completely different and physically can do a lot more than women. Women go through a lot emotionally and can deal with more. Women mature extremely faster than men and are emotionally strong. I do not believe that one sex is greater than the other. We both have our own talents and strength. Women do show more emotions than men, such as crying more often. However, showing emotions does not make you weak. I am not able to choose which gender I believe is stronger because we both have our own abilities and strength.

Amber Murray

12/14/2012 12:41:55 am

I believe that men and women are equally strong in their own way. No one gender is weaker then the other, each one is strong in their own way. Men can do things that women can't do and women can do things men can't do. Men are definitely physically stronger but women do go through a lot which makes then emotionally stronger. It wouldn't be right to say that one is stronger then the other because there are different aspects that make men stronger then women and women stronger then men. But if I had to choose, I would say that women are stronger. Women may tend to cry a lot more but crying or having emotions does not make one any less strong. Not only do women go through more, they go through things longer then most men. Most girls mature at young ages, while boys do not. Once you're mature you take things more literally and seriously therefore, women are the stronger gender.

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