I thought it was an interesting hypothesis for why I see women actively avoid the sort of debate spaces online that I seek out. They are all absolutely dominated by men and it doesn't matter what part of the political spectrum the particular echo chamber embodies, this happens in both leftist and right-wing spaces.

Is it sexist to say that women seek out conflict less than men? Mens' brains are literally doused in a hormone that makes them aggressive for many years of their development. Isn't it sexist, or just weird, to suggest that testosterone has no effect on mens' behavior?

Go look on female-oriented forums like Mumsnet, you'll find similar levels of conflict as are found in male-dominated places, especially around contentious topics.

or Instagram, or Tumblr, or book writing forums, or true crime forums, or certain political forums. it takes a special kind of man to sit in his own bathwater and ruminate on the fact that there are no women there; it's because of the testosterone in the water, which means that women don't bathe, which is why they sink.

sometimes, this place. smh

> Is it sexist to say that women seek out conflict less than men?

Yes.

Is it true, or false, to observe one gender seeking out more or less conflict than the other?

It's your perspective and your perspective is not universal truth even if it may be shared with 90% of the world. That's the argument, I believe.

It does hold some weight really. Especially when you consider change over time. Perhaps, your observations have become obsolete, so to say.

I'm not saying I love this argument because it means the end of the argument but maybe that's just the lesson to be learned here.

Are you making a causal statement or one of correlation? Your original response doesn't make this crucial part clear. And, because of the way it's worded, it appears that you made a causal claim: `if gender then behavior`.

Do you believe men and women are blank slates?

> Is it sexist to say that women seek out conflict less than men?

Inherently? No. In practice, generally.

> Isn't it sexist, or just weird, to suggest that testosterone has no effect on mens' behavior?

It is erroneous to conflate the positive claim that "testosterone has no effect on mens' behavior" with not making the claim "women seek out conflict less than men", and that is particularly true in the context where "conflict" is specifically online debate.

Hmm I guess I would like to add some nuance. I’m a trans woman, and I have thought a whole lot about gendered roles in our society. Indeed, women and afab people are taught in our society to behave a certain way - to be deferential to men, to please others, and to avoid confrontation. Men and amab people are taught to speak their minds, not shy away from confrontation, and to be direct. This cultural pattern is indeed sexist - it seems to be driven by a patriarchal society.

But as observers if we are cautious about what we are saying, it can be okay to point out that women are socialized a certain way and this can lead to certain conversational patterns. We need to be careful to realize this is not some biological thing (hormones make impressive changes but this isn’t one of them), but I think it’s okay to point out common socialization differences if we are careful to attribute them to socialization. At least it can be okay. Certainly it is a delicate subject.

Indeed. Men pretending to be women, and women being deferential to this insulting charade, is evidence of a patriarchal society. You wouldn't get away with any of this "trans woman" nonsense in a matriarchy, or even just in a society where women are respected rather than considered objects to use and wear for men's enjoyment.

Trans people have always existed and we will continue to exist forever. My existence is not pretend, my existence is not a fad, and we will never be eliminated. Your dreams of a society without us will not be fulfilled, and if you do not change and grow and learn to understand what we are, society will pass you by and your thoughts will grow ever more irrelevant.

You can attempt to indulge your male woman-fantasy all you like, but it is ultimately meaningless. You are not a woman and you will never be a woman.