Men: it's ok for you to sew, cook, cry, appreciate beauty etc. You don't need to take HRT to experience it. You just need to ignore the macho expectations that some people have of you. End transmission.

Are you implying those are womenly activities? How is crying and cooking going to help me understand how women think and behave?

No. I'm saying that some men live in social groups that think these are women's activities. I'm saying that they're not, so if you're a man and you want to sew, have at it. And of course that means that sewing won't make you understand women. A lot of women can't sew.

So.... what does your reply have to do with what GP has said? He simply stated he doesn't want to risk his health in order to better understand how "women think" by taking potentially life-altering drugd. I'd wager to better understand women you should actually spend time with them and talk to them, not engage in random activities that you yourself said aren't indicative of a certain sex

I think I was taking too much from OP's version of feeling more like a women after transitioning, rather than replying directly to what GP said.

Personally, I don't think that taking HRT will actually make a man understand women any better, so perhaps my response to GP should have been that.

Edit: fix op/gp monikers

I was going to write a reply to the same comment then I saw yours and you said it better than I could.

In my experience, the best way to understand how women experience the world is just as you said: spend time with them, talk to them, and - most importantly - listen to them. I think many men could benefit from having more female friends (and I mean truly friends, not secretly trying to get in their pants).

I've learned so much about how differently women experience the world just from befriending many women over the years. It's really opened my eyes to how differently women might experience the same situation. It's amazing how different society treats women and it can be totally invisible to men unless you're willing to look for it. I think it's made me a better husband and father as well.

Yes I meant I hope more people who want to transition try it. As society accepts trans people, and access to appropriate medical care becomes more widespread, more people will do it. You need only watch the latest Philosophy Tube video on the British health care system to understand that there are people who want to transition and aren’t able to access the medical care they need. And then there are people who would be more likely to consider it if they lived in a more accepting place. I’ve realized I would have appreciated transition much sooner in life (I started at 37) if the option had seemed more realistic when I was younger.