Is chivalry dead or on life support?

Question

If it's dead, who killed it?

Answer 1

it's on life support... who to blame? feminists who have offended and made men feel they are doing something bad when they are nice.... now men think we all women stand behind those feminists and we are all seen like feminists.

Answer 2

It's still around, evidence is that feminism is still around.

Think of it this way, feminism is a beast that feeds on chivalry.

The only reasons feminists get the special treatment they demand is because of chivalry, but at the same time they destroy it by taking it for granted, claiming no credit is due for it and demanding more.

The feminist ability to feed from chivalry has diminished greatly thus diminishing feminists' power in recent years, particularly with men raising consciousness about this little scam on the Internet.

Feminism is leeching off a resource that it will eventually exhaust.

At that point chivalry will be dead and so will feminism.

Answer 3

The answer depends on who's asking.

If you think it's dead, you might want to have a deep look at yourself to see how you've caused that, because I'm sure there are many people who say it's a alive. Vice-versa too.

Answer 4

Feminists have been trying their hardest to kill it for a long time. It isn't dead yet, but it is in critical condition.

Thankfully the militant hard-core feminists of the Baby-Boomer generation are pretty much dieing out (see what happens when you don't reproduce ladies), along with their ideas.

But the havok that they have wreaked will take a very long time to be repaired. Men are still reluctant to exercise even basic courtesies towards women. This isn't because they are scared, but because they've been told by some women that it isn't something any woman wants.

Thankfully Generations X and Y seem to have little use for extreme feminism. They know that they have equal rights, they don't need to get snotty when some guy opens a door for them to prove that they are as good as him. They almost always say "thankyou".

Answer 5

Chivalry never existed, read your history. It was nothing more than a cultural ideal, and good riddance at any rate. That being said, if we teach our children to be courteous and respectful to EVERYONE, men and women alike, then what is the problem? I don't expect "special" treatment, but I DO expect courtesy and respect from everyone. I hold doors for everyone, whoever happens to be coming in behind me. Where I'm from, everyone is taught to have manners. I would NEVER expect a man to "give up his seat" but I would give up my seat for an elderly person, someone on crutches or a pregnant woman. Why do YOU feel like you deserve some man's seat? So, is chivalry dead? So what if it is? Teach kids to be polite to everyone, and it won't matter.

Answer 6

If you want to be "treated like a lady", pick someone that will. There are plenty of men (mabye even most) that want to perform these actions in their personal relationships.

But, the world at large has changed. Women are now peers of men, socially, economically, politically, and educationally.

So, the deferential, protective treatment that men (even strangers) formerly gave to women is despised by (at least some) feminists as sexist and demeaning. They demand equal treatment (except sometimes).

You can't control what happens everywhere, but in your personal relationship, pick someone that treats you the way you want to be treated. And enjoy.

Answer 7

I think it depends on the woman, of course not all men are chivalrous and the degree and idea of chivalry differs between say Anglo Saxon Countries and Germany, but if you are surrounded by competitive in your face grrrl power feminists u dont feel like beeing chivralous, more like shaking your head but if you are around somewhat traditional woman I would suppose behaving chivralous comes automatically to those who are so inclined.

Answer 8

Times change, and tradition changes too. You probably expect me to say feminists killed chivalry, but I don't think that is true. My husband and I are both feminists, but not of the Valerie Solanas ilk, and he opens doors for me, and I open doors for him.
Now, you say that feminism is unnecessary, because women have the ERA, but feminism is about social attitudes, not just legalities. Just because African Americans have equal rights under the law, that does mean negative social attitudes and racism cease to exist? Some statistics say a woman is raped in the US every three minutes. Women still struggle to be taken seriously in leadership roles. For example, when women scientists do not specify their gender when submitting their work to universities or publications, they are far more likely to be well received. There are still pervasive social attitudes directed towards both women and men that are damaging. I love men, I love my husband, my father, my brother, my friends, and I do not believe women are better than men. But I have been discriminated against in the workplace, and in society at large, by both men and women, because of social conditioning which upholds and perpetuates the myth of rigid gender roles. It has definitely gotten better, but there are still vestiges of antiquated ideologies. Now, if you have never experienced what I speak of you are very lucky, but just because you don't see it does not mean it does not exist.

Answer 9

I don't think its dead yet, the modern generation is just scared of it. Men are not taught the manners and women don't know how to respond. I've opened doors for a young women and had them open another for themselves or stop and wait for me to walk through. Telling a woman that she is attractive or beautiful as a greeting is not coming on to her, its polite.

Answer 10

It's dead. And if there are a few out there that it's still alive in, they don't act on it for fear of appearing wimpy/whipped/gay/whatever. Also, people don't expect it anymore... if someone is being extraordinarily nice to you, you think, "wow, what a weirdo," or "what does he want?" when there's really nothing behind it. We just assume the worst of nice people.

Answer 11

Women have no right to demand chivalry from men. If they want equal treatment, so it must be really equal. But women want equality only when is good for them, when is bad they are little damsels in distress.