Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Tek) 9/26/83; site tekig1.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!zehntel!tektronix!tekig1!barbaral From: barbaral@tekig1.UUCP (Barbara Lee) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: sex roles Message-ID: <1524@tekig1.UUCP> Date: Wed, 1-Feb-84 11:53:32 EST Article-I.D.: tekig1.1524 Posted: Wed Feb 1 11:53:32 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 8-Feb-84 02:06:26 EST Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR Lines: 20 I think men and women tend to have some different traits, whether this is biological or sociological, I don't know. I don't worry too much about why men and women have some different tendencies (i.e. men's muscle mass seems to build up more than women's). Instead, I ask, how can I use my traits to my best advantage? I've taken karate lessons. Some men weighed twice as much as I did, and were a lot stronger, and were close to a foot taller than I was, and probably more aggressive than I was. Instead of taking the attitude that many people do...women can' t do karate...they aren't strong enough, etc,; I looked at my talents, and asked myself how I could use them to my best advantage. I am graceful, have a fast reaction time, and since I am smaller, I can move faster. By developing and using these talents as much as possible, I could hold my own just fine. I've worked quite a bit with handicapped people. I think it helps them when we concentrate on what they can do. Everyone has their set of weaknesses and strengths (some of these probably tied to sex roles). I try not to get bogged down about my weaknesses. I try to improve the areas I'm weak in and capitalize on my strengths.