NationStates Jolt Archive

whats more imortant in shaping your outlook in life. is it your race/nationality or is it your gender.

this is a tough one i am a white male. yet had i been born a white female my whole attitude would have been completly different. though would it have been a greater difference if i was a black male. there have been huge advances in both racial and gender civil rights movement, hopefully making prejudice against one another redundent. but what part of your background do you feel a great affinity for ?

My first thought of a response was 'neither'.

But that isn't quite true. A more proper response would be that 'race' and gender along with a dozen other factors I can't control contributed to my personaity. But I'd like to believe that factors such as how I was raised, early childhood friends and a decent education contributed significantly more.

For me it's gender. It's probably because my grandmother has hated me ever since I was born purely based on the fact that I'm a girl. (my family's Chinese. Thank god my parents were educated, or I wouldn't put it past my grandma to drown me.)

I would say my "race" first, and then perhaps gender (in that I work against it more than with it). Like Goofballs said though, education, culture, parents, early childhood friends etc. all contributed as well. As would sexuality.

For me it's gender. It's probably because my grandmother has hated me ever since I was born purely based on the fact that I'm a girl. (my family's Chinese. Thank god my parents were educated, or I wouldn't put it past my grandma to drown me.)


thats harsh. and to think i am pleased i wasnt born a girl because i would have been called shulha !!!

I dont know

For me it's gender. It's probably because my grandmother has hated me ever since I was born purely based on the fact that I'm a girl. (my family's Chinese. Thank god my parents were educated, or I wouldn't put it past my grandma to drown me.)
Couldn't that qualify as a race/culture matter as well?

Couldn't that qualify as a race/culture matter as well?
Probably more that than gender itself. Especially since it's a cultural outlook towards gender (one that I will never relate to anyway).

I would say my "race" first, and then perhaps gender (in that I work against it more than with it). Like Goofballs said though, education, culture, parents, early childhood friends etc. all contributed as well. As would sexuality.

yes its easier to disassociate yourself from strict definitions when you are raised in a free and tolerent soceity. i imagine if you were born a muslim girl now (in some countries), or a white girl in england 100 years ago things would be different.

Couldn't that qualify as a race/culture matter as well?
I guess. But if i was born in any other developing asian country, i know it would be worse, because my parents would probably end up thinking the same way as my grandmother. Besides, knowing this only made me a feminist, and really didn't do anything else. So it's still gender.

yes its easier to disassociate yourself from strict definitions when you are raised in a free and tolerent soceity. i imagine if you were born a muslim girl now (in some countries), or a white girl in england 100 years ago things would be different.
Not too different. I am gay, and some members of my family are doctrinal Christians. It took quite a bit of willpower to actually get over the whole thing. Were I a Muslim, or a girl living in England 100 years ago, I would still not put up with the oppression. I would actually prefer being a woman altogether.

But yes, a free and tolerant society would fit in partially, and I have already factored these in.

I am a girl and I dont care about race or gender because I have guy friends and lady firnds of all races and nationalities and it doesnt bother me one bit.

Q. What's more imortant in shaping your outlook in life?

A. Diet and the weather.

All the other answers, those revolving around beliefs, race, sex and orientations, reek of people who aren't dealing with life and reveal they are still dealing with their egos.

I am a girl and I dont care about race or gender because I have guy friends and lady firnds of all races and nationalities and it doesnt bother me one bit.


but do you find that by being a girl you are denied oppurtunities in life (by soceity/family etc) that would not exist as a boy.

Q. What's more imortant in shaping your outlook in life?

A. Diet and the weather.

All the other answers, those revolving around beliefs, race, sex and orientations, reek of people who aren't dealing with life and reveal they are still dealing with their egos.
So you completely disregard psychology? :)

thats harsh. and to think i am pleased i wasnt born a girl because i would have been called shulha !!!
I think that's a lovely name. :p I'm going to start calling you that from now on, Shulha. :D

So you completely disregard psychology? :)

Psychology is merely another form of weather to be endured.

Call it the "weather of the mind."

Psychology is merely another form of weather to be endured.

Call it the "weather of the mind."
Poetic, but then you have to recognise all the factors that influence it.

Poetic, but then you have to recognise all the factors that influence it.

Which is precisely why the "unexamined life" is not worth living.

Which is precisely why the "unexamined life" is not worth living.
Then how is this pertinent to the first point you made?

My gender, because it singularly refused to be the same as my sex. Everything I have done since then has been a battle between my outward self as being a normal male, and my actual, inward self, as a hidden female.

My gender, because it singularly refused to be the same as my sex. Everything I have done since then has been a battle between my outward self as being a normal male, and my actual, inward self, as a hidden female.
Precisely the antithesis I referred to when I described gender as a factor.

How isn't it?

I think that's a lovely name. :p I'm going to start calling you that from now on, Shulha. :D


to make it worse, they picked the name because it was a character on an argricultural radio show called the archers (BBC4) which evidently is the longest running show in the world! dates back to 1950's.

though at least i would have been unique.
now im know as tim nice but dim

How isn't it?
You mention that all these factors that affect psychology are redundant. Then you say that weather includes "weather of the mind". Then you say that living an "unexamined life" is not worth it. How does it chain-link?

Gender. It sucks being a tomboy: all of the priveleges of being a guy but the unhealthy feeling that you're doing the wrong thing. If there were no stereotypes in the world, I'd be a happier person.

to make it worse, they picked the name because it was a character on an argricultural radio show called the archers (BBC4) which evidently is the longest running show in the world! dates back to 1950's.

though at least i would have been unique.
now im know as tim nice but dim
an agricultural show is the longest running in the world? BLASPHEMY!

On the other hand, shulha's much much better than tim. ;)

Precisely the antithesis I referred to when I described gender as a factor.
If that's a good thing then excellent, if it's not then oh well...

I honestly don't know which :)

My gender, because it singularly refused to be the same as my sex. Everything I have done since then has been a battle between my outward self as being a normal male, and my actual, inward self, as a hidden female.

No matter how much you may want to be a woman or feel uncomfortable as a man, don't fool yourself into thinking that you are anything more than a man who is uncomfortable.

Remember folks, we cracked the genome and there is no biological basis for homosexuality or gender reassignment. It's just things society does to deal with psychological conditions.

You are what you are, no matter how you hide it or evade it.

If that's a good thing then excellent, if it's not then oh well...

I honestly don't know which :)
For me it is good. :)

Remember folks, we cracked the genome and there is no biological basis for homosexuality or gender reassignment. It's just things society does to deal with psychological conditions.
Even though research on the matter is incomplete and inconclusive? So far, the best bet is that genetics do have a part in homosexuality.

an agricultural show is the longest running in the world? BLASPHEMY!

On the other hand, shulha's much much better than tim. ;)

yeah ... the archers was to help people through post wwII rationing, and help farmers keep up to date with new methods. quite intresting really.

actually i agree. but could imagine a man (or girl) saying shulha suductively without laughing...

ohhhhhhhhhhhhh shuuuuuuuuuuulllllllllaaaaaaaa, yes

No matter how much you may want to be a woman or feel uncomfortable as a man, don't fool yourself into thinking that you are anything more than a man who is uncomfortable.

Remember folks, we cracked the genome and there is no biological basis for homosexuality or gender reassignment. It's just things society does to deal with psychological conditions.

You are what you are, no matter how you hide it or evade it.

Do go away. I don't care what you think.

For me it is good. :)

Then it sounds good for me as well :)

My gender, because it singularly refused to be the same as my sex. Everything I have done since then has been a battle between my outward self as being a normal male, and my actual, inward self, as a hidden female.
Have you ever considered a surgical sex-change or something like it? I know a girl who got one and changed into a guy. He has a girlfriend right now and he looks really happy.

Have you ever considered a surgical sex-change or something like it? I know a girl who got one and changed into a guy. He has a girlfriend right now and he looks really happy.
I've only considered it for every day of my life since I've known such a thing existed.

I've only considered it for every day of my life since I've known such a thing existed.
Me too. I find it a tad extreme though, and so refrain from it. I am not that unhappy in a male body, although I would much prefer being a woman.

Me too. I find it a tad extreme though, and so refrain from it. I am not that unhappy in a male body, although I would much prefer being a woman.
Really? I thought I knew of all those regulars on NS General who were at least a bit that way inclined. Would you consider yourself transgendered?

Really? I thought I knew of all those regulars on NS General who were at least a bit that way inclined. Would you consider yourself transgendered?
No, and mainly because I have a problem with seeing that as true womanhood.

No, and mainly because I have a problem with seeing that as true womanhood.
You know, transgendered doesn't mean transsexual, it's very possible to see yourself as a transgendered person without going for transsexualism, and it's perfectly possible to be a transsexual without believing it makes you a 'true woman'.

You know, transgendered doesn't mean transsexual, it's very possible to see yourself as a transgendered person without going for transsexualism, and it's perfectly possible to be a transsexual without believing it makes you a 'true woman'.
Ah, in that case yes. I guess I am more towards transgendered.

Ah, in that case yes. I guess I am more towards transgendered.
:)