How do you ID an indepent, confident woman v Damsel in Distress?

Question

I ask this bc some men try to treat me like a "little girl," which I find ludicrous...

I clearly don't see myself the way they see me.

So what makes you decide to treat some women as equals, others as needing "male protection"?

Answer 1

Goodness...it seemsed like my ex-husband couldn't make up his mind whether I was a damsel in distress or whether he was the helpless one.  I wouldn't be surprised if it's not just what we do, and a good 50% of it is the guy's mood or disposition.

Answer 2

man must protect his woman or he is not a man at all

Answer 3

One is sure of herself, knows what she wants and has a certain aura about her to let others know this.  The other is barely hanging on to a speeding stagecoach with a villain holding the rains and a cowboy hero on horseback close by.

Channy, I know how you feel.  Almost 9 times out of 10 it is a stranger that does this to me, because like clvr, I am very petite.  But most of the men that know me know I am capable of most things....except reaching the top shelf without a stool.

Answer 4

Oh c**p, I thought this question was about me..

I only chose my username b/c I thought it was funny and cute..not b/c I wanted someone to rescue me.

Answer 5

I often used to treated like a 'little girl' by men as well - I honestly believe it is the way I looked.... I am a 'petite' female with a young face.... Somehow, I believe if I was taller, athletic-looking woman I would not have been treated this way.

Fact is, I'm extremely independent-minded, and have always changed my own tyre if I got a flat! I HATE being spoken to in a patronising way by men! I loathe being called 'sweetheart' or 'darlin' by strange men!

Some women 'act' like damsels in distress, but this is simply for male attention - these women are stupid ad lack self-confidence. There are some women who would call a man to come and change their flat tyre..... <cringe>

Answer 6

It's very difficult for normative males in the modern era as we are not keen to what is expected of us and don't know what the proper rules of engagement are vis a vis courtship and/or guidelines with respect to establishing a loving relationship with a woman and as men, we simply lack the clairvoyance to pick up on subtle cues (as we are inherently defective entities per post-modern feministic dogma).

Essentially, we cannot function in a normal capacity as a result of the advancement of feministic ideology in the Western world.  Our natural order has been distorted beyond repair.  There is very little chance of recovering normative male behaviour in the modern era as the result, regrettably.  Within about a century the gender will likely be eradicated and pehaps a solely a cryogenic chamber will exist to artificially produce life (ideally outside of the woman's body) in some sort of "womb-like" exogenous incubation chamber simply in the interest of artificial replication, in utter defiance of evolutionary theory.

Answer 7

I think some women make their stance on "protection" much clearer than others. It can be evident in the way they act around the guys; are they "just one of the guys" or a feminine fish in a masculine pond? And sometimes, even if she is "one of the guys," she will be treated like a princess by guys who have never learned to treat women any other way.

Answer 8

Damsel in Distress: emotional (cries a lot), scared to do things without men (like travel, etc.), always asks men to do things like drive or fix things, before even trying to do it herself.

Independent Woman: in control of her emotions, does things by herself, doesn't always need a man around.

I have a few DID qualities that I'm trying to fix. I get really emotional easily, but one DID quality that I don't have is that I'm never scared to go places without male "protection".

Then again, some men who you deal with might just be sexist, plain and simple.

Answer 9

There are no 'one of the guys' to guys. You're either someone they find attractive or someone they don't.

Typically, if they don't find you attractive they won't pay much attention to you or care to defend you from anything. If they do find you attractive they will usually be happy to come to your assistance.