Why do you think men feel the need to protect women?

Question

Hypothetical situation, there are three people in this story, there is Tom, there is dick, and there is Jane.

Jane works with dick. They started dating. They stopped dating. dick did physical harm to Jane. Jane didn't say anything about the assault to the authorities. Jane still works with dick, and dick makes Jane do humiliating things.

Tom sometimes asks questions on yahoo answers. Tom lives 17 hours away from Jane. Tom's questions are usually very intelligent and sometimes funny. Jane faithfully answer's Tom's questions. Tom reads Janes answers, and likes Jane's intelligence. They talk through instant messenger. They become friends and have a mutual respect for one another.

Jane tells Tom about dick's actions in the past and in the present.

Tom doesn't like what dick does to Jane. Tom wants to protect Jane.

Why does Tom want to protect Jane?

Answer 1

Awwwww =) Cause he loves her =)

Answer 2

You can't protect someone who's that far away. Jane needs to get away from that Dick. If she doesn't there must be a reason. If they are married and have kids, she may feel an obligation to stay and get along for the sake of her kids. Or Dick might be so scarey that she is afraid to leave, because he's threatened to hurt her other family members if he can't get her instead. Tom is sweet in wanting to help, but too much trying might get Jane hurt even worse, so Tom should just be a good friend, listen and give advice, but nothing more is appropriate. In my opinion.
Besides, Tom has a family that needs him to protect them.

Answer 3

Your "hypothetical" situation is the cloud over the issue. Just because this happens to be a male female friendship does not imply anything about male or female dynamics. In symbolic form this is just person T wanting to help person J, which needs only imply a caring nature. I bet if something terrible happened to one of Tom's male friends he would want to help as well.

I'm a guy, and I want the people around me to be safe. I'm sure my wife does, too, so I don't think that's a "guy thing". I also believe that, in general, my wife can take care of herself. I respect her ability as a person. But in a specific area of physical threat, my body, demeanor and training are simply more capable of overcoming such things. That's not a matter of want, it's simple fact, and does not reflect on either of our value as a person. Tom should help Jane even if he didn't know her and even if she were not a she. dick sounds like a real richard.

Answer 4

Because man is genetically equip to help weaker people, But Tom has to be sure that Jane is telling the truth. Because Jane may be looking for a certain amount of revenge. And if Jane continue to stay at a place where Jane is constantly degraded her then maybe just maybe there is a lot more going on then Jane is telling Tom.
So Tom has to be very very careful of what he is thinking of doing to Dick in order to protect Jane. Because it sound to me like Jane is still very much in love with Dick............. And tom can get into a lot of trouble by listening to a story......................

Answer 5

To your initial question:
Men protect women as an evolutionary trait. Men are stronger, women are weaker, and we pick up our sticks, grunt, and preserve our tribe (hyperbole, but you get the point). Plus, being able to protect our women makes us more desirable to the women.

To your "hypothetical" situation:
Tom continues to offer support to Jane, and encourages Jane to step up and take care of herself in the situation. Jane is a woman in the 21st century, where HR departments, congressional law, and many other organizations will help her to fight for her rights. All Tom can do is offer support.
If Tom were to get involved, it would only make trouble for Jane, and possible get Tom arrested and thrown in jail for assault.

Answer 6

Because Tom is a male animal and that is one of the natural roles that male animals were designed to play in the animal kingdom - to protect the females and young. Good luck with that situation.

Answer 7

When you open yourself up towards another human being to the degree where one is willing to call them friend and not associate, then one looks at them more as extended family. When one we love, and yes I will use the term because love comes in varying forms and friends can have love for each other without it being physical, gets hurt it hurts us too.

Human beings are naturally empathic to a greater or less degree. Most can easily put themselves in anothers situation mentally and when the situation is upsetting our first instinct is to protect the other because we care.

Answer 8

Overall Tom is just a good person that does not want to see another person hurt. But it may be something deeper. Maybe men see woman as they are, more fragile and the weaker sex. Therefor they see it as a duty to protect them. Or maybe it is out of great respect. Woman brings life into the world, and although that is not thought of as highly as it once was, maybe deep down you are acting on that great respect.

Answer 9

The same reason people want to protect children, we want to protect those smaller than we are. Men are big and strong physically, so naturally they're protective over smaller people, like women and children, especially someone who's aleady been abused. Like an abused child, you want to protect them from being abused again.

And hey, maybe you've got a crush on Jane?

Answer 10

Because we should all do what we can to help people who need it. Instinct.

To further that - it comes from the deep seated instinct for carrying on the species. You have to protect the other people in the species or you will no longer have a species.

Answer 11

Human Nature.
Is this really hypothetical or have the names been changed to protect the guilty?
.