It is proven. Psychologist Professor Adrian Furnham, of University College London, analyzed the results of 25 studies on IQ and gender differences and his findings say that men are deluded about the supremacy of their mental prowess. http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1145381
He backs the concept of “male hubris, female humility” effect wherein male IQ is not at higher levels to female IQ, but men presume that they are more intelligent than their female counterparts. To add to the male delusion is female humility, wherein women “believe” that they are less intelligent than most men. Women self-rate their IQs on a lower scale to that of men. Men strut around with greater confidence and a larger-than-life opinion of their caliber.
Most men are not smarter than women, but women add to their perceptions of intellectual grandeur. We make them believe that they are smarter when we let them do the talking in a business meeting and sign the dotted line; when we let them handle our finances and when we look upon them in awe; when we believe car repair is rocket-science, the defense services are male domain.
Remember, my previous post, http://blog.felinemusings.com/2008/01/02/size_does_matter, where I had echoed similar thoughts on how women make themselves feel and seem small. To quote from the blog post - “As women, we often take things lying low. Our mother’s teach us, “Girl’s are meant to be seen and not heard.” We grow on principles of humility and softness, of discipline and quietude, and we usually take a whip-lashing from fate and people, without batting an eyelid. We are docile … we are seen, but we are not heard. But till the time, we are not heard, we will not be taken seriously. For our own sanity and for the sanctity of the power of womanhood, we have to voice our concerns and put across our opinions.”
As a woman, only you can reiterate the power of the woman. We do not need to scream from rooftops that we are more intelligent than men; we do not need to carry copies of the Furnham’s research findings in our handbags to flash at egoistic men; all we need to do is believe that we are “equally brainy”, and “equally capable.” Newfound faith in the power of our wisdom, our learning and our thought, will help us shed “female humility” and embark on existing missions and newer goals with greater self-confidence. We do not have to assert our superiority, but assert our equality. There is no better solution to conquer “male hubris” than to tell them that their presumptions were wrong!
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The Empty Head Says:
January 17th, 2008 at 12:09 pmWell…this study just says that women downplay their IQ…not that they have more of it n then they downplay it
and humility is the first thing lost when equality is asserted. the problems we have with women lib these days are because of the assertion of equality. the right way is a recognition of equality, for which men have to change too!!
but in true sense, men and women aren’t equal. they can never be, nature did not design them to be. though being unequal doesn’t mean one is better than another, such thoughts/discussions are amateurish & shud be shunned.