Where have all the young men gone?

Jolynne_Smyth
Mon, 19 Sep 2005 10:02:21 +0000

I don’t know how much of girls’ authority pleasing is socialization-- a lot of girls just are that way, particularly if they are first born (speaking from experience).

I also think there are ways to channel that ‘tendency to comply and be good’ into productive, effective behavior that integrates well into the more rough-and-tumble work environment.

It’s similar to how boys’ testosterene-fueled aggression and hyper-competitiveness can be channeled into productive work and achievement, instead of stagnating in self-destructive violence, etc.

I’m a girl who was sweet, shy, basicially compliant and consciencious. I ended up in law, writing aggressive briefs and making assertive arguments (the ultimate goal was to do good, but ‘crushing the other side’ in the adversarial spirit of the law is certainly a factor!) It’s certainly possible to be effective in a male-dominated profession without being a born-h*ll-raiser.

In fact many experienced attorneys (male and female) have told me that the most successful women lawyers are the ones who aren’t excessively strident and overtly attack-oriented.