From What I’ve Gathered…

From what I’ve gathered women are incredibly enigmatic.  Why is do I feel this way?

Preface:

When I think of women, particularly the idea and concept of “womanhood in the modern world” I realize that I have many conflicting thoughts and feelings.  I reconcile these differences by believing that there is an immense amount of diversity and variety, making any generalization impossible.  I also reconcile my scattered and conflicted thoughts by the simple observation that there are two groups of women; the first group is a group of women that I interact with, on a regular basis, and the second is a much larger group of women, one that I don’t know or interact with.  This second group doesn’t really exist, they only exist as a set of ideas in my mind.  These set of ideas (the second group) have been foisted into my mind by society, they’re mainly composed of stereotypes and prejudices, which are constantly reinforced every time I hear, read, or observe anything that aligns with these notions.  

The Second Group:

The Workforce

When I view the labor market, interface with various facets of the workforce, and talk to young women, I see individuals making poor investment decisions.  I see women who are actively pursuing careers that don’t have the same earning potential as other fields.  They want to help people and society as whole, rather than conform to the demands of market forces.

Celebrities

Celebrities make me think of women as incredibly eccentric, volatile, and narcissistic.  Taylor Swift typifies this kind of person; although talented, they often sell their virtue and dignity to the world.  Living lives of convenience, they do whatever is expedient, occasionally sometime good, but their clout usually has a deleterious impact on those who revere them the most (teenagers).

Social Media Consumption 

When I think of the internet and women, I think of websites like Pinterest and Facebook.  A dominance of women on these websites makes me believe, that women have a natural curiosity and want to know what’s going on in the lives of their friends.  

Politicians

 

When I hear politicians (both Republicans and Democrats) speak about women or to a female audience, it makes me feel like women are helpless, innocent victims, incapable of making decisions without the government holding their hands and telling them how to think and how to live their lives.  As they tell the world women are victims, women become victims and they begin to act more helpless. (similar to the notion of labeling theory)

Consumerism and Consumption 

Recently I went into a mall with two women. We went to stores I’d never heard of, and as we were looking through the mall I realized that there are far more companies vying for the attention of women.  Reflecting on the things I saw, heard, and observed that day, I came to the conclusion that the preponderance of stores is due to the fact that women are so fastidious and fickle.  They have very particular tastes when it comes to aesthetics and they make many decisions based on their feelings.  When I typed in the word “shopping” to google images, the image above was on the second row of pictures.

The First Group:

Women in the Church

 When one looks to the media to inform their world view one ends up with a warped sense of reality. The media does impact individuals lives.  It does inform the way we think and behave to some extent.  But there is a huge disparity between what we see, read, and experience through the media and what is reality.  There is a huge difference between, what is said, and what is done, and the women in my life stand in stark contrast to the women on the outside, the ones in the media and in the world.

Kathleen 

She used to be a farm girl on the Idaho-Wyoming boarder but today she’s the only member of her family to graduate from a university.  She left a small farming community for a better life (a “different life” if you’re a fan of the country lifestyle) she to BYU then went on a mission to Pennsylvania. She eventually got her MBA and worked in Silicon Valley for many years.  Her service to God and the service she has rendered for me, has made me who I am and eternally grateful for her.   

Jan 

She used to be a single mother raising four boys and a daughter, today she’s a matriarch to a large extended family.  She’s the embodiment of perseverance and work ethic, and I aspire to have as much drive as my grandmother.

Leia

 

Soft-spoken, kind, diffident, and somewhat conflicted.  I should know her better, but she comes off as kind of stoic and quite enigmatic.  What I know is that she has a sweet spirit about her and she’s incredibly friendly.   

Kaitlynn 

She’s introverted while still being incredibly outspoken.  Highly opinionated and my favorite thing about her, is her willingness to be completely open and honest with me (usually while she’s telling me I’m wrong.)  She’s passionate about any endeavor she embarks on and has a thirst for living a good life. She’s fairly traditional and conservative in terms of her tastes, preferences and style. 

M. Russell Ballard

M. Russell Ballard said, “There is nothing in this world as personal, as nurturing, or as life changing, as the influence of a righteous woman.” Amen.

James E. Faust Quote

“No matter what circumstances you sisters experience, your influence can be marvelously far-reaching. I believe some of you have a tendency to underestimate your profound capacity for blessing the lives of others. More often than not, it is not on the stage with some public pronouncement but in your example of righteousness and the countless gentle acts of love and kindness done so willingly, so often on a one-to-one basis.” 

I don’t have many women in my life but, I have a deep appreciation for everything they have done for me and I admire them all for different reasons.  They’re unique, I don’t understand them, but I’m incredibly grateful for their impact in my life.

Works Cited
The Workforce
http://www.businessinsider.com/pink-collar-jobs-dominated-by-women-2015-2
Celebrities
https://s1-ssl.dmcdn.net/HxDWh.jpg
Social Media Consumption
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/20/social-media-by-gender-women-pinterest-men-reddit-infographic_n_1613812.html
Politicians
http://i2.cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/170207220739-elizabeth-warren-feb-exlarge-169.jpg
Consumerism and Consumption
https://urbanmatter.com/chicago/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Girls-Shopping.jpg
Actual Women
https://www.lds.org/bc/content/ldsorg/church/news/2017/04/01/580-new-relief-society-primary-general-presidencies_1.jpg
James E. Faust
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2002/10/you-are-all-heaven-sent?lang=eng