Re: conversational gender differences

Spike Jones (spike66@ibm.net)
Mon, 14 Jun 1999 20:58:03 -0700

Rob, your post reminds me of a Richard Fish routine. Deep down in your heart, you know he is absolutely right.... {8^D

I will buy part of it. You say rarely does a man accept purely platonic relationships with female friends. I strive for these relationships, and have found them to be more difficult and simultaneously more rewarding than friendships with men. Women tend to be better at expressing themselves. My friendships with them have proved most enlightening.

> Rob Harris Cen-IT wrote: ...But secretly, the man is in it for a shag, mark
> my words...

Sure, but what if you are really really *not* looking for a shag? What if you are happily married and do not want to risk everything? Or what if she is the wife/sweetheart of your best friend? Maybe your theory of habitually kissing up to attractive women is correct. I shall ponder that and get back later.

> The relationship from man-man is much different, there is no alterior
> motivation, just a task at hand such as bonding, entertainment, or doing a
> job. Hence different communication tactics.

Same sex friendships easier for some reason.

Where I am going with this is if we have the choice in the future of being both sexes simultaneously, as would be other transhumans, what would that be like? How would we communicate then? What if we could work it so that everyone was both genders and every transhuman was a potential sex partner? Could we then still talk to each other? Or would we all be constantly striving for the next shag? spike