Lost in Translation: The Dialogue Between Men and Women

“I’ll talk to you later,” this seemingly innocent statement often means GAME OVER for a woman. You see, so much of what you say is poked, prodded, dissected, scrutinized, analyzed, put in a flow chart, discussed and researched. This simple analytical tendency is at the core of man’s discombobulation about the fairer sex. The division of genders is entirely imagined because they can’t “think” like the other thus no one can communicate.

    It’s so hard for women to articulate exactly what they want or need. Society has placed this expectation on them, effectively killing a woman’s sense of personal power. The media portrays women as objects. They’re pretty, dainty and you take care of them. This is the ideal, perfection, what men “want” and women should be.

    At the same time a strong, independent, “no-nonsense” woman is portrayed to be a b—h. It’s no wonder women feel the need to be sneaky with their desires. We’re taught if you tell a man exactly what you want, need or think in any way that wasn’t enumerated in the handbook…welcome to the single’s cruise.

    In matters of the heart, these behaviors are at their peak. A girl likes a boy, flirts, follows the protocol according to Emily Post; then the ball is in the boy’s court. If the wedding invites aren’t immediately sent out: “He wasn’t interested,” “I’m not pretty enough,” “I’m not skinny enough,” “He’s gay,” and the “Men are another species.”

    Both men and women console themselves over the speciation dividing them. Aside from this making no sense biologically, it’s just not factual. Try as they might to tell you, women and men are the same (on the inside). They have the same feelings: want to be loved, fear of rejection, need to belong, confusion, desire etc.

    Emily Post might not be the best person to take advice on the opposite sex from. She simply doesn’t speak the direct language of men. Perpetuating woman’s verbal mitigation will only create more frustration. It’s not innate character differences or (entirely) society that separates man from his woman (and vice versa). Men just speak; women orchestrate their words. It’s a language barrier. Things simply get lost in translation.

Dear Life: Stop Stressing

Dear Life,

    I know we haven’t been on entirely pleasant terms. However, could you please consider discontinuing your assault on me. Your unprovoked attacks have left me with many injuries. This constant stream is too much. The mitigated term is stress. A more accurate description is emotional injury. I have tried to play nice. Took what you gave me. I was hardly your main victim. That ends now.

This is absolutely unprecedented. It’s like you are torturing me with a new weapon each week. I’m afraid it’s time to take drastic measures. If you don’t start treating me well; if you don’t stop injuring/stressing me I will be forced to press charges. Don’t think this will be a small suit. I can get some 7 billion witnesses who would love to testify to your cruelty. Consider these comments seriously. If you don’t drastically change your approach to me in the next month, the aforementioned measures will take place.

Jade Wilde

(cosigned: the human race)

Voyeurism

   

 
As humans we are all voyeurs by nature. I am no exception. We sit and people watch at the mall. Observing these strangers we start to ask questions and imagine what their lives are like. What does that woman in sweat pants, with screaming children do all day? Why is this couple together, when one clearly seems to be better than the other? We then compile our minute data and come to conclusions. This desire to know more about our fellow man is apparent in almost all subjects. All scholars are essentially voyeurs trying to determine the reason and behavior of our species.

Psychology -one of the most fascinating classes I have ever had- represents this exceptionally well. It’s beginning stems from the desire to know more about people and why they are the way they are. We classify types of personalities, disorders, behaviors and attempt to come up with generalizations that are important to the function of people and society. The same can be said about Sociology and Anthropology. People enter these fields because their curiosity can not be satisfied with a simple “because that’s the way it is.”

For most people entire sectors of the world are impossible to watch and understand because of cultural and language barriers. This is why the study of foreign languages is so relevant. In business it is simply smart to not limit your clientele. It also feeds into the need to know people and what’s going on around us. Writing and English studies also have these types of interest. In an English class you may study a character from a book, play, or film in depth to learn more about the story, theme, or author. Analyzing the structure of a sentence may reveal a colloquialism or junction that says more than the words themselves.

The most interesting things are inextricable from the function and culture of man. We enjoy learning and discovering the what, who, where, how and why. So go on my fellow voyeurs (everyone) and watch the world(s) around you.