Why do women envy men?

Question

What are the things women envy about men?

Here's an example a woman wrote on this site for another question:


I don't know if you would call it envy, but you have to admit they got it a lot easier. They don't have a period, don't give birth, don't have mood swings, the world and our culture revolves around their wants and wishes, and even sex is designed more for them than it is for women.

I know of course it isn't easy controlling your lower extremities when you are a guy, but other than that I think it's pretty unfair what women have to put up with. Everywhere you look there are billboards, commercials, and media that all appeal to men's fanticies, as if we don't even exist unless that is our purpose.

I have yet to see a commercial where a guy walks into the house, gives his wife a huge kiss and starts playing with his baby (that would be a fantacy of mine), but we as women just deal with it everyday. It really is demeaning, but what can you do? I would give anything to leave my 2 kids with someone for 8 hours a day to go out and socialize with other adults and get paid for it, go home and have dinner waiting for me, and spend the rest of the night relaxing and doing whatever I want.

On the topic of sex, men can do their thing wether their partner is in the mood or not, then finish whenever they want. Women on the other hand can't really do anything if the man is not in the mood and her resolving pleasure is completely optional. What kind of cruel joke is that?

I don't envy men, but I sure do appreciate it when they look beyond themselves for a moment and give credit where credit is due.

Answer 1

Actually, the world and our culture (or any other for that matter) DOESN'T "revolve around men's wants and wishes". In fact, I'd argue it's just the opposite. Marriage is an institute invented by women, FOR women. Men couldn't be happier if they were allowed to 'mate' with whichever woman caught their fancy and then go about their business. Instead, society --and in particular, marriage-- is designed to protect and support women and any offspring that develope from a union.
Women DO envy men. Our needs are simple, our mood swings are relatively predictable and we're physically more powerful in general. Ever since feminism came along, women have attempted to feminize Western men (with little success-- remember the Sensitive Man?). Women concluded it wasn't working, so they've intruded into dangerous, traditionally MALE spheres of recreation [boxing, rock climbing] and employment [Combat Support troops, fighter pilots, etc-- all while demanding lowered physical requirements in order to meet politically mandated quotas]. They're even taking our names now. There was a time when it was easy to tell if someone was male or female. Now, there's so many female 'Charlies', 'Dales', 'Dakotas', 'Sams' etc it's nearly impossible to tell from a business card WHO you'll be dealing with!

Argue all you want, but the facts speak for themselves: Higher divorce rates, higher rates of adultery, abortions, STDs, suicides, physical abuse, mental abuse, mental illness. All I want to know is: when will 'modern' Western women learn to appreciate the differences between men and women, celebrate them and accept them?! Instead, you complain about how horrible men are...then emulate them as much as possible!

Answer 2

Envy Men

Answer 3

Not all women are like that. Some women envy men, because anything masculine, like building a top notch car or sending men into space, is beeing heralded, while women get no or little credit for beeing a woman and behaving womanly. In America Germany and the like women almost have to excuse themselfs for beein female and the manlier they behave the better. Italy on the other hand embraces feminity and women and women in the media do not have to show how much of a man they are to be validated, making the women feeling good about beeing a woman.

Answer 4

The only thing I envy is the power- which ultimately translates into control.

Men control alot in society, and although women are catching up, its very slow and not mainstream.

men do have control over their bodies more than women, and I dont mean in the biological sense, but in the sense of violence.
More women are raped, beated, kicked and mentally drained by men in their lives.

Sex in society is condoned for men not women. Look at any AXE commercial, especially this sickening on where a guy is on a beach spraying himself with the stuff as women from all over run towards him like wilder beasts in bikini's. As if! I'm surprised no one has said anything about their marketing strategy or what they promote as acceptable for men.

Answer 5

Men don't have mood swings, what are you talking about? They have one mood swing after another. The violence that you see is a mood swing, an out burst, and men are far more violent than women. They don't have the menopause which puts women at a great disadvantage to men, but women are idiots for marrying older men and allowing men to have children to a later age. Men behave like idiots a lot of the time especially when they are chasing women half their age, it just looks so mad seeing a wrinkled old men with a young woman, men are so thick not to realize that the younger woman is only after their money. So at least women are not that thick.
I think that what is wrong is that men get away with a lot more than women do, and women let them. I see what you mean about bill boards appealing to men's fancies. I think we should have lots of pictures of young half naked men around the place appealing to women's fancies, because are needs and desires are the same, but women should either stop Miss world, or campaign for a Master world in order to make this world more fair for women.

Answer 6

where did you get that women envy men? even your example denies that. some of the points were relevant to me, most were not. "the world and our culture revolves around their wants and wishes" i agree with, and the bit about the media, but the part about sex i don't agree with, neither do i wish to give up what only women can do: give birth! (the periods and all that go along with it, but what a small price!)
perhaps you meant that women envy the pandering and respect men recieve just by existing. yeah, some of us do; we'd like to be treated as people and not sex toys & breeders, that'd be nice.

Answer 7

The only thing that I am envious of men about is that if it is cold outside, and there are no bathrooms near them, they only have to expose just a couple of inches of themselves to pee. Grrrr, hated that during hunting season:P

As for the person you are quoting in the rest of your question, she needs to get over it. SHE'S the one that chose the man she was married to, she wasn't forced to marry a guy that doesn't have a clue. Not all men work at jobs where they "get paid to socialise". Not all men fail to acknowledge their wives and children. Not all men are selfish in sex. And how the heck is sex designed more for men than women? Women can get more out of sex than a man ever could.

Answer 8

Ignoring for a moment that your assumption is erroneous and that women do NOT in general 'envy men', you seem to have answered your own question by quoting the female poster.

Answer 9

I don't envy men in the least. And all the things she mentioned in the 1st paragraph about childbirth, moodswings, ect. I am proud that I have! It takes a unique individual to be able to handle all the things she mentioned, so I'd say because God blessed me to be a woman, I am unique and thus capable of handling lots of difficult things! On the topic of sex: she obviously didn't do the number 1 thing before you start attempting to be "intimate" with the opposite sex: you can not EVER expect to reach full pleasure if you don't know what it is that you like, you must learn to please yourself 1st and foremost. If she'd done that, the paragraph would be non-existant!

Answer 10

They can turn off their emotions and get stuff done. I sometimes wonder if they're just computers or something that dint' feel ... have a task, and then they complete it.

Me, I get half way through a simple task like snow shoveling , and whooosh ... feeling overwhelm me ... like, OMG it's beautiful ... or Uahhh, it's going all wrong --- whaaaa ... I always get it done ... but there's just too much emotion in it. Sure, the dude across the street is like a machine ... shovel, shovel, shovel.

So, I envy man's ability to turn off --- especially when they break up. Must be nice not to care.