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The number of people either too dense or too willfully misogynistic to understand what this is about is depressing.
If you're arguing bear statistics or saying "not all men" or decrying misandry, then you've totally missed the point. If you are doing it intentionally, you're the type of men women would choose the bear over.
The fact that anyone would choose a dangerous animal over a random man is an indictment against the culture surrounding male privilege and should spark introspection and change. Arguments against this is just ignoring women and solidifies the decision that the bear is better.
Honestly, no matter what side of the debate you are on its still dystopian to think that women would actually think to go to a bear over a random man when faced with the choice.
I am being introspective about this though. We created a culture of fear. A lot of it is through the consequences of rape culture and I think a large part is through an unhealthy about of true crime that's being made. Constantly blasting worse case scenarios into people's heads. I dunno, I just despise how we all just accepted not to trust one another and it seems like we've all just accepted that this to way to be about it. I just see it as a example of the alienation being pushed by capitalism.
It's makes me a little mad tbh. Being perfectly honest it should make everyone mad. Like tbh I still think going with a random guy is the correct answer to this but we all should come together, look at this whole situation and realise the dystopian implications of this.
Yes! Thank you!
Does it hurt that women feel that way? Of course it does, so let's work to be better so that random people can trust each other!
Angrily lashing out at the women who are pondering the benefits of a bear isn't gonna help.
Be someone a woman would feel safe to be around. Call it out when those around you fail that test.
Create that safer environment. It isn't impossible.
Be someone a woman would feel safe to be around. Call it out when those around you fail that test.
Create that safer environment. It isn't impossible.
Thank you for demonstrating healthy masculinity. The rest of this thread is a trainwreck of victim blaming.
I totally understand why women would pick bear, as bear society doesn't bend over backwards to victimize women.
Most power structures cater to the people who abuse power. Police, church, courts, military, etc all tend to go crazy easy on men who abuse women.
Republicans want to take away women's rights/independence, limit/eliminate divorce, force birth for rape/incest. Police who assault women are protected and don't face consequences, and most religions literally view women as a subspecies that serve men.
Maybe the average man is totally normal and helpful, but the history of violence between men and women is like 98% men killing women with heaps of Rape, confinement, physical/mental abuse etc.
The worst any Bear could do is kill someone in 1-2 minutes, maybe longer.
It's also an incredibly loaded situation in that being alone in the woods with a bear is "natural" and being alone in the woods with a strange man already sounds like a horror movie plot/murder news story.
There's also the constant "stranger danger" fear women will pretty much always experience because men can consistently and easily overpower most women. All women I have met seem to know at least one or more women who have been sexually assaulted, had their drink spiked etc, so it's not some obsession with crime shows or scary movies driving this fear. It's actual rapists prevalent in society and emboldened enough by lack of consequences to act.
Even in cases where it seems obvious Rape happened, it's a brutal gauntlet of gas lighting, victim blaming, "can't ruin their life for a mistake", etc that stop a huge amount of reporting and convictions.
Going back to the question itself, answer ratios would probably change depending on the area, would women be less inclined to pick bear if they were in a library instead of the woods because it's unnatural for a bear to be in that environment?
People need to relax, and focus on the real story. Women have an incredibly long and valid list of reasons to be afraid of men and society needs to do better to make women feel safe
Ultimately, bear is the less complicated decision, not entirely because it is without danger, but because it is not subject to gaslighting. Most people understand that a bear attack is bad and won't raise concerns about how you led the bear on or that what you were wearing was to blame.
Although, if you live somewhere that grizzlies are common, and you're out hiking or biking without a bear bell, there will be some judgment on what you were (not) wearing.
/used to live in Alaska
Yeah I’m probably more comfortable with strange men in a library than strange bears. The woods are where strange bears go. The library is where strange people go.
Now if I have them making advances towards me, bear in a library 100%. My local bears are black bears and they can be scared off easier than some men.
I agree totally with the first sentiment but I don't think the recent prevalence of True Crime media really plays into it at all. This is not a new thing. Women have been making these risk assessment decisions for generations in the modern age. Girls are taught this kind of thing with how to protect themselves at a young age.
This is primarily a cultural issue and it won't change unless the majority of people propagating (intentionally or not) realize what's happening and work to change.
I dunno, the media and its relationship to crime is well documented. Many people accept that old people that panic about inner city crime despite it being at a record low since the 1970s are victims of this phenomenon. Why is it difficult to believe that young women who consume a lot of true crime content aren't also effected by this phenomenon in some way. I have studied psychology and I did do a journalism course which, admittedly, I dropped out of. I just don't like how fear based society has become. People are just too quick to assume the absolute worst and I kinda view this bear question as a reflection on that.
I don't know a single woman who hasn't been at the very least harrassed by men they don't know. I know so, so many who have been assaulted, and that's just the women who have chosen to share their experience. Thinking your couple college classes means you know more about women's experiences than women themselves is ridiculous.
The media is bad but the sexual assault and harassment statistics are sobering. And they're highly under reported because enforcement is often a joke.
It's not an exaggeration to say most women either know someone who was assaulted or harassed, or they were themselves. And it was likely while they were a teenager. That kind of lesson doesn't come from MTV.
no, true crime definitely plays into this, because the question is not asking "what is safer", but "what feels safer", and while it's not inherently wrong for anyone to mistrust random people, especially women in decently large parts of society, this is a feeling question, and like it or not, but Society does consist of the stories we tell ourselves and others, and while we still have a long way to go, you can not argue that women are less safe now than during the 50s - 60s - 70s - 80s, yet the perception of many people is that it has scarcely ever been more dangerous, and that also has a reason.
Are people arguing statistics about it? Like how many women are killed by bears every year compared to men? Lmao, they're not even close.
I've seen one video on the subject that my wife showed me, then I had a conversation with my wife about it.
When you're looking at statistics, women attacked by bears per year vs women attacked by men per year, it's not taking into account the fact that 99% of women don't get into situations where they are near bears. Most women (and men) don't go hiking in bear populated woods frequently. Like how the overall odds of getting struck by lightning is low, but some people are struck 8 times are survive.
The better statistic for this argument is that a man is more likely going to kill you in an encounter, should it escalate. I didn't fact check this, but I'll take this video at it's word.
Almost like that was part of the original article.
Part of the reason many people never see a bear is because they actively stay away from humans. Everything being equal, (the bear is healthy, it's not near hibernation, and there's no cubs nearby) you could quite easily do the animal version of hanging out with them. (Animals are fine paralleling each other by something like 50 meters)
Same thing with wolves. They're so naturally adverse to human contact that handlers at wolf rescue operations just literally walk into the enclosure, drop their food and walk away. For vet stuff they come in with cushioned sticks and just gently pin them to the ground.
Now I don't suggest trying any of this (bear or wolf) without some training and backup but it illustrates just how much normal animals don't want anything to do with humans.
How often are you near a bear? How many bears have you attacked or wronged? Do you wonder how a bear might react if it understood English and you talked about it like you talk about men?
It’s also amazing how people can have this argument in one thread and then go to another thread and leave a comment that just says “ACAB”.
You don’t trust cops? Why not? Because of a few bad apples?
Sounds like you get it…
That argument doesn't hold water. One is an immutable characteristic, and the other is a career choice. A career that filters for certain personalities.
Well first off, being a man is not an immutable characteristic, because transgender people exist.
Second, the difference between the two groups you bring up isn’t relevant in this comparison, because pointing out the differences between them doesn’t negate the similarities. Both are groups with an inordinate amount of power (physical or legal) over any outgroup and are supported by cultural norms that allow them to exercise that power largely without repercussions. Both groups are also protected from consequences by others within the group, regardless if the others agree with their questionable decisions. And most importantly, both groups are human, meaning the individuals vary widely within the group along the moral spectrum. Even if most within the group are good, bad actors will always exist and there’s no way to know which one you’re dealing with at face value.
Even if it’s not a perfect comparison, it’s apt enough to support my point.
Being a man is immutable, unless you are saying being transgender is a choice.
I brought up the largest difference between the groups, not the only significant difference between the groups. One is a choice, the other isn't. This difference alone is more important than any similarities your comparison can draw.
It is a highly flawed argument that only serves to get back pats from those that agree with you.
You have no idea how much they like the back pats.
Well first off, being a man is not an immutable characteristic, because transgender people exist.
The aspect of being a man that makes people consider you a threat by default is an immutable characteristic though, if you are a trans woman people will treat you that way even more than otherwise.
Man is not a gender. Man isn't an aesthetic choice. Man isn't a social role. Man doesn't need an injection to stay man.
Well I know a couple of black guys that have committed crimes, I better paint them all with the same brush.
The idea is that ACAB because one bad apple spoils the bunch. So yeah. You're missing the point of the idiom you are using.
The bad apples are organized and lead by other bad apples and actively weed out any potential good apples who wouldn't have a snowflakes's chance in hell at accomplishing change anyhow. How do you think corruption works?
No. The bear choice is misandry clean and clear. The men who don't like the idea of misandry are just reacting the same way as anyone when you give them a label and call them bad for it.
I'm sure there's some bear people who are just cool with bears and whatnot or maybe would just rather be alone.
Nah, the choice is between a being that will likely leave you alone and one that likely won't. Most people who aren't seeking contact want to be left alone. Interestingly enough, most bears want to be left alone too. As people, we need to allow others the distance and boundaries they want. The best way to befriend someone is to make them feel comfortable around you. Space and respect are important.
If a woman prefers the bear, maybe consider treating her like one. Treat her with respect, don't make sudden movements, give her space, don't mess with her cubs, and don't pressure her into going to a local bar with a really neat vibe.
I would rather be in the forest with Cthulhu than a woman. It's true because I said it on the internet.
Do you really think given the REAL choice women would be that stupid? This is insulting the intelligence of women. Any rational person would chose to be with another person than a wild animal.
I can't believe we're even taking this poll seriously. Look, I'm all in for women's rights but these are just unbearable (ha) levels of stupidity.
Honestly, what the fuck is happening to society, this is fucking sickening. Yes, we need to improve as a society. No, women would not really choose the wild bear, it's a fucking internet poll, not reality. Fuck.
You fit the description of my first sentence in my previous comment.
The fact that you think this is somehow pithy and not just demeaning and dehumanizing is what makes you the problem.
If we swapped the sexes in the scenario, or changed it from men and women to black people and white people, you would be screaming your head off about hate speech and racism. Your extreme narcissism might be the reason you have had such a bad history with men. I suspected that only the worst kind of men are willing to put up with your shit.
I would choose the bear over any person that would choose the bear.Pretending men and their societies aren't a unique problem is misogyny. This isn't applicable to taxes, nationalities or other issues. This is the patriarchy. And you're supporting rape culture by pretending it doesn't exist.
Assuming only women are responding like I am is also misogyny you chud.
Pretending men and their societies aren’t a unique problem is misogyny.
here's a shocker for you, women are part of society as a whole, and no misogyny isn't a unique problem, it mirrors the same issues that are ever present in racism, ableism, poverty etc...
you REALLY need to brush up on your intersectional theory
PS: if your reference to "men's societies" was to the idea that men somehow control society, then may I redirect your attention to "rich people" (who do actually control society)
"Men and their societies", Jesus Christ, do you even hear yourself? The layers of misandry and hate in this comment are so fucking off the charts that it would take me literal weeks to unwrap it all. "Rape culture"... holy fucking shit, you have some serious phsychosys going on here. Also, talk about rampant misogyny/misandry... I never even once alluded to your sex at all. Your rampant false victimhood is so out of control that you can't even separate your own hate from what I have actually said.
Because I called out that the poll is bullshit and women would really pick a man 10/10 times?
What do we need to reflect? We already know what we need to know without this stupid poll. That poll is literally providing zero relevant information to a very real issue.
Lol. You're the man people pick bears over.
Hahaha so funny and original
If you keep hearing it everywhere...
Yes, that means that I'm a rapist who will kill a woman if I'm alone with her in a forest. That's very sound logic. I mean, it's true because you said it on the internet. But maybe you should make a poll to REALLY make it official.
I wouldn't go THAT far on my assumption. I would certainly place you into the fragile and possibly volatile masculinity category that can be dangerous to be around though because of the instability involved. I say this because you get very defensive over stupid internet arguments as if they're a direct challenge to your personal identity, which is a very sure sign of fragility in that identity.
It's not challenging my identity in any way or form, I'm 100% supportive of women and all of their rights. It's just so retarded that people are acting like it is something that we need to pay attention to, that it triggered me.
So, pointing out that the poll is obviously stupid and pointless gets people saying you're the kind of rapist/murderer that would fuck up women even worse than a WILD BEAR.
This is just too retarded. I can't believe people are defending this poll and "calling out" people who criticize the poll as mysoginistic or insecure about their sexuality. It's so retarded. Like I swear I'm face-palming myself in my mind 10 times per second reading all of these white knights.
So now people are fighting over this retarded poll when real sexism is still out there. I just can't deal with how stupid people are in general, this shit is so infuriating, I swear I wish I was never born into this stupid planet.
This whole thing is just another way of pitting men and women against each other.
Men having to listen to women and be confronted with reality and the harms their gender and society are actively causing is NOT pitting people against each other. Women don't want to fight and ostracize men. They want to be safe FROM men.
If you see this discussion and feel defensive, that's your brain trying to tell you something's wrong and you should probably analyze why you feel like you are being attacked.
See, this is what I mean. Stupid arguments. We immediately go to pitting gender experiences against each other.
You're not confronting reality when you compare men to animals. You're literally projecting your insecurities onto me by assuming I'm defensive over this topic. I'm not defending either man or woman or bear in this argument. I'm saying this whole topic is a stupid hypothetical and all it does is lead people to argue, like you literally did with me. You're not confronting reality by saying your safe with a bear, because reality is, you'll never go be with a bear.
If you want to have a real discussion about the very real and serious harms that women have to deal with, I'm happy to discuss that. That's a topic worth discussing. This isn't that discussion. This is a bad faith hypothetical designed to frame a conversation against men for the sake of stirring more shit. And honestly this'll be the last I engage with this thread because its really already consumed too much of my time.
I hope you understand, I'm not trying to fight or belittle your opinion or attack you. If you wanna frame this as me being defensive, that's your prerogative, but I just found this whole question to be dumb when I first heard about it a few days ago, and this article just once again reinforced how dumb I found it.
You are conflating all men with the guilty.
You're conflating what you think argument is with what the article was actually about.
"not all men!"
Enough men that most women would choose a fucking bear. Look in the mirror: you're the problem.
Oh damn, am I?
What with my respecting women’s choices, supporting them and all that?
Do I need to go change everyone’s opinions or is just living my life, doing right, and treating people as equals enough?
Yeah, some of us get sick of hearing how men do this and men do that.
Well guess fucking what, I’m a man who doesn’t do all the bad shit, and still yet I hear about how men are bad.
Shit gets old quick.
Is any of this going to cause me to change my life and how I act?
Not even a bit, my principles don’t require anyone’s input.
It’s like how when men start talking about how all women are bitches, if I was a woman I would get straight pissed at that as well.
That is bullshit behavior no matter who is doing it.
Wanna be safe from men? Do it the same way men do. Be able to handle yourself when you need to and don't worry about it the rest of the time. Women having to listen to men and be confronted with reality is not mansplaining.
How does "being able to handle yourself" apply when someone else has removed your ability to handle yourself with drugs or alcohol? How does it apply when your choices are "go along with it and try to escape later" or "fight back and probably lose because you have less muscle mass and are physically smaller than them"?
How does your argument apply when you are a teenage girl in high school being harassed by adult men? Reality is a very different place when the world perceives you as a woman (or girl), and your prescriptivist approach entirely fails to account for the fact that your perspective has a lot of blind spots in it.
Try defending yourself from all of society when a girl lies about you for rejecting her.
Are you not responsible for your own drinking? I avoid the hazard of bars by not going to them. I'm also pretty good about not dating total strangers.
Carry a gun. Obviously this doesn't apply in the teenage girl scenario. I wanna say that you gotta protect your kids, but society's structure straight up doesn't let that be practical. Security is hard and young girls are desirable. Judging people's character is also hard. Dangerous machiavellians can pretty well pretend they're totally chill. IMO, the best security is surveillance, identification, and appropriate punishment which seems unavoidable. I personally fear the future of easy to fake evidence though. It's not something that'll hit me directly, but someone that the rich will employ against each other eventually resulting in all of leadership positions being occupied by the worst kinds of people.
Ever wonder how election by lottery might go? I seriously believe that any random person is more likely to make good legislation than the people who seek it out and fund their way in. I'm getting on a tangent now, so I'll stop myself here.
That's funny. I'm finding it brings me closer to the women to understand them better.
But it doesn't, this debate just makes women hate men even more
The fact that men are debating this is disgusting, so yeah.
More than the rape did? That's fuckin impressive.
How did you come to that dumb conclusion
I don't even want to post this because it's bad for my mental health to engage on this. But as a dude, it's my unfortunate responsibility to clean my own damn house apparently...
You said this conversation makes them hate men more. So you think they already hated men, for all the horrible things some men do to them like rape. And then you think this conversation somehow makes it worse?
It's like complaining that the guy who rear ended your car also spilled your coffee. Like, I get that spoiled coffee isn't great, but given the scope of the actual problem it's stupid to think it makes it worse.
I'm not sure you understand the privilege that it takes to think that this conversation about bears makes women hate men MORE. It just shows that you don't understand how much they deserve to hate those guys already. The problem is SO MUCH WORSE than some stupid meme. The meme just gives voice to the actual problem. It lets women relate to each other and bond over their shared painful experiences.
If this meme seems like a big deal to you, that just shows that you were able to ignore the actual big deal that is molestation and abuse. That's your privilege I mentioned.
If this is pushing women away from you then sit down and think about why that might be.