Too many females?

That's technology, not complex emotional creatures. So to me using generalizations despite the huge number of variables is still a logical fallacy. There are simply too many factors that need to be addressed with any one person, never mind a group, and generalizations tend to break down because of this just like stereotypes.

Technology is predicable, living creatures are not.

 

Yes I do read your posts thank you very much. You try to make out that I've misunderstood what you've said, but then at the end of your post you say something damning again. Once more you're stereotyping how men and woman behave, saying men just rush into situations and women think more about it. Now perhaps statistically that is the average behaviour, but if you go out and talk to people in the real world, you'll find that statistics count for little. Every one is an individual not some machine driven by instinct and gender. I don't want to read stories where men are all stern, reckless macho men, and all the women are gentle, level headed and sensitive. I want to read about characters that seem like real people, not cardboard cut outs determined by statistics. Men and women are different, but we shouldn't be slaves to these averages.

 

I've traveled all over the world. Taught people from many cultures and made it a point to learn as much as I could from them. I actually ask people, not just read books or pour through journals. The fact you say this day in age, says you have an expectation. I would suggest you are the one with the simplistic view. I know how complex and varied life is. I've been out living it for many, many years.

 

Perhaps you should realise then that not all your characters of the same gender should be the same then.

 

What is it recently about newer users priding themselves on their 'age', 'wisdom' and 'experience'? As if users of a younger age have done nothing with their lives.

I have to admit, it's getting really annoying. It's also condescending.

 

I thought you read the posts. Recap, "Personality overrides instinct." "Each character is different but based on a foundation of reality." Does that sound like they are the same and bland.

As a character is developed through the story they develop a unique personality it can amplify or nullify instincts. If its a kid on the street they will develop other instinct that will over ride others. I let the characters develop as the story demands not towards a preconceived goal I envision for this day in age. I have no expectation to result only a realistic platform to build on.

 

I didn't bring it up until he suggested I had none. I gave him parameters without glorification.

 

As if it's a women-only issue. You can't use broad generalisations while writing your characters, which seems to be all you've been talking about in this thread. Do you have to ask a woman what toast tastes like to write about a female character eating toast? I don't think there's a distinction at all.

 

I know. It wasn't really directed at you, just an observation on newer members that this thread reinforced. Personally I'd say you seem like an ok guy superpsycho.

 

That's a far cry from what you've been saying for the rest of the thread. My apologies for missing one rational sentence in a sea of sexist remarks. I just don't agree with this idea of yours that most men are rash and uncomplex and women deep and level headed, and that anyone that does not conform to this is unusual, and an "extreme"

 

Only if I've never eaten toast. I never said it's a woman's issue. You keep projecting looking for something to complain about. Being a male who has never experienced such a situation I can only make assumptions but I have no true understanding of the situation or how a woman must feel. From what I've read and know it's about power but that wouldn't tell me enough to really do it justice when it comes to the fear that women may have about lonely streets at night or the terror one might feel from the act. It's not something one would know automatically would it. You can again assume but then any storyline could be hollow without actually digging to the subject until you had enough information to make it real. That doesn't seem unreasonable does it.

Can you tell me what it's really like to be shot. You can guess but until you actually read or talked to someone who gave details and feeling you wouldn't know for sure would you?

 

Again, where did i say all that? I said women characters provide a wider range because they are more complex then men. Do a web search "studies of brain differences men and women" Then tell me what you think.

 

Silly double post.

 

I'm curious - what is your theory of female instinct? Can we get it all in one place?

You seem to assume that we all should operate under these assumptions if we are not to ignore science. Assuming their personality does not object, what kinds of behaviors do all females gravitate towards naturally? So far I've gotten that they are naturally geared towards compassion, second-thoughts (perhaps even third-thoughts due to greater intellectual capacity), abstractions, and memorizing words, and broad emotional range (thus making for more interesting characters.) Are there any other innate behavioral qualities of women?

 

Similar statements were repeated a number of times. Just because you have some preconceived notion of what is sexist doesn't mean it's valid.

 

Lemex, if you meant people like me (since I'm one of the newest users), I don't pride myself on anything. But it gets old when the same stereotypes come back over and over and over... And then real life has more exceptions than rules.

Psycho, don't get offended by what I said. I maintain that your views are oversimplified, but I didn't judge your life experiences and your world travels. Maybe I should have expressed myself more clearly. I meant go outside with an open mind. People see what they want to see, not what's actually there.
I guess if you think I have a simplistic view because I think people are more complex than the way you describe them, then you must be right! Jokes aside, you said you taught people from many cultures, I would suggest you try letting them teach you. There's a lot to learn.

I would also suggest that you read your own posts, because "You guys don't read anything I say! I am not in love with stereotypes, women are just more complex than men" doesn't make a lot of sense, as some people have already pointed out.

 

You said it on several occasions. And again the idea that women are more complex than men is sexist and wrong. Here's a quote of yours:

"If you write only about the extreme ends of the biologically range that's your choice. But I chose to write about average people"

There you imply that anyone that doesn't conform to your stereotypes is at the extreme ends of the biological range, and therefore abnormal. Here's another:

"Guys are generally less complex by a long shot."

And one more time:

"the logic of men is straight forward, where a women's logic is more intuitive."


So please don't try and say you didn't say those things because yes. You. Did.

 

If you don't pride yourself on anything then I don't mean you, obviously. I have noticed that there has recently been a few users acting rather condescendingly toward other users merely because of the fact that they are apparently younger. Speaking as someone who has spent a number of years on this forum, I think I joined this forum in 2006, it's more than a little annoying.

Especially considering I'm a 22 year old, who has done a fair amount of travelling, been shot at in Turkey (I was holidaying and there was a terrorist attack on the town I was staying in), I work while studying for an English degree while also writing for my local newspaper, I've also hunted and killed game. I've done a lot more than the average 22 year old, and so I don't appreciate it when a user says my generation is 'lazy' and 'poorly educated' like another user has said. Not superpsycho, but another user of this forum, on another thread. It's irritating, I find it more than a little disrespectful.

 

That's the internet, where the idiots take off the masks and reproduce at the speed of light.

 

It doesn't to you. I have daughters. They each have both boys and girls. I know what they say about them. I know what studies say. I know what the men and women where like in classes I have to taught and the type of question they asked. I'm the guy everyone would tell their problem too, guys and girls. I'm sorry in my experience girls are more generally complex. Not always but generally they consider more factors in relationships then men do. I've heard my wife and her friends sit and talk about relationships in a level of detail the average guy wouldn't even consider. Again in my experience girls are more complex.

 

Well in my experience they are not.

 

That's because guys tend to keep things pent up inside, mainly due to people like you propagating nonsensical stereotypes, rather than for any biological reason. Believe it or not, I too have interacted with both males and females, so don't try and tout that as some special point in your favour.

 

Nobody has. In fact, I've bent over backwards to show that if anything there are "trends only." For example, my female character is the very embodiment of a woman who strives for and achieves any goal she desires.

More to the point, how does all of the complaining enhance the OP's research on writing?

 

"Nobody has"

Oh come on...

 

We're not in Kansas anymore... There Someone Wrong On the Internet and I'll admit guilt of using the interestingness of psycho's sensational worldview to distract me from the many important things I could be doing. Although, I do think it's a valuable study in how not to build a character with any sort of realism or poeticism.

(@psycho Hint: if you are stuck with figuring out what a female character would do, you do not ask closest female specimen - you work on character bios, backstory, thematic message, structure. Or else all your female characters will end up feeling and doing what your specimen would do and your character isn't a character anymore.)