Fred Reed: Keep those women away from our sons!

[RuralEngineer]

I agree with D1984.

Fred Reed's gross generalization of all children's interests into two groups, "male behavior" and "female behavior" that is controlled at the genetic level apparently would be laughable if it weren't so sad.  Maybe he only had two children, a son and a daughter, and is basing his entire world view regarding the behavior of children on what is essentially a sample size of one (for each gender).  I can only hope that's the case, because anyone that has spent any time around even a handful of children knows that they are a spectrum with a wide variety of interests, not all of which are going to conform to traditional norms.  I think there is a lot of truth to be had in the argument that our schools are failing our children, particularly our boys, in the way they are treating them by treating normal behavior as abnormal and suppressing their natural tendencies.  However, Fred Reed does this argument no favors. 

If he truly cares about the plight of our boys, I suggest he leave the exposition to someone more articulate and who doesn't come across as a horrifically sexist rube from now on.

[RuralEngineer]

Where does this leave the shy, quiet, melancholic introvert who has little or no athletic ability or aptitude for "traditionally male" pursuits like competitive physical sports?

Planet earth.

Deal with it. You have no choice.

I'm pretty confident that I could go to Silicon Valley and comb through the heads of the major tech companies there to find more than a few former kids that fit this description that turned out just fine.  Better than average one might say (if wallowing in money is your thing). 

Taking boys that are natural introverts and averse to sports or other "traditional boy behavior" as Fred has so kindly defined it, and forcing them to engage is said activities is no better or different than what Fred Reed is complaining about the female teachers doing.

[moda0306]

Where does this leave the shy, quiet, melancholic introvert who has little or no athletic ability or aptitude for "traditionally male" pursuits like competitive physical sports?

Planet earth.

Deal with it. You have no choice.

I'm pretty confident that I could go to Silicon Valley and comb through the heads of the major tech companies there to find more than a few former kids that fit this description that turned out just fine.  Better than average one might say (if wallowing in money is your thing). 

Taking boys that are natural introverts and averse to sports or other "traditional boy behavior" as Fred has so kindly defined it, and forcing them to engage is said activities is no better or different than what Fred Reed is complaining about the female teachers doing.

True dat.

[Pointedstick]

i don't recall anywhere in the article it said force boys to be physical and compete in sports. it said stop forcing them to be soft and stop treating natural boy behavior like a mental disorder...

BTW i would bet that most of those shy, quiet, melancholic introvert boys who had little or no athletic ability, who ended up in silicone Vally were still intensely competitive intellectually and in other (god forbid) boyish ways...

i am all for treating individuals like individuals, and the article did fail to take the leap to that obvious conclusion, but the entire design of modern education is to use cooky cutter robot factory methods, chopping off the rough male edges is just one small part of that huge failure...

BTW i would bet that most of those shy, quiet, melancholic introvert boys who had little or no athletic ability, who ended up in silicone Vally were still intensely competitive intellectually and in other (god forbid) boyish ways...

Yup. And I can't tell you how many silicon valley engineer types I've met who've enjoyed hunting, woodworking, racing fast cars, etc. However to my knowledge, not one of them has even remembered when Valentine's day was.

[Libertarian666]

BTW i would bet that most of those shy, quiet, melancholic introvert boys who had little or no athletic ability, who ended up in silicone Vally were still intensely competitive intellectually and in other (god forbid) boyish ways...

Yup. And I can't tell you how many silicon valley engineer types I've met who've enjoyed hunting, woodworking, racing fast cars, etc. However to my knowledge, not one of them has even remembered when Valentine's day was.

I'm not in Silicon Valley, but I'm a "software engineer" and I remember when Valentine's Day is.

The fact that it is my wedding anniversary may not be coincidental...

Fred has a new article on the same subject http://www.fredoneverything.net/MoreonSchool.shtml

[Pointedstick]

Something strange is happening in the United States. A Canadian friend recently said, “I can remember when Americans weren’t afraid of everything.”? Just so. Don´t run on the playground because you might fall. Don´t roughhouse because you might get a bruise. Don’t go outside at high noon because you might get skin cancer. Don’t swim after eating, because you might get a cramp. If a child draws a soldier, call a SWAT team because he is a murderous psychopath. Don’t ride a bicycle without a helmet. Fill in the deep end of the pool because someone might drown. Supervise everything. Control everything. Fear everything.

+5,000

[Libertarian666]

Something strange is happening in the United States. A Canadian friend recently said, “I can remember when Americans weren’t afraid of everything.”? Just so. Don´t run on the playground because you might fall. Don´t roughhouse because you might get a bruise. Don’t go outside at high noon because you might get skin cancer. Don’t swim after eating, because you might get a cramp. If a child draws a soldier, call a SWAT team because he is a murderous psychopath. Don’t ride a bicycle without a helmet. Fill in the deep end of the pool because someone might drown. Supervise everything. Control everything. Fear everything.

+5,000

I agree on the rest, but I remember being warned about swimming after eating when I was a child, which wasn't that recent. 

[RuralEngineer]

Living isn't about reducing risk.  Life isn't a portfolio to be managed.  If it were we'd all work the highest paying jobs even if it made us want to claw our eyes out and stay indoors unless absolutely necessary. After all, who wants to risk the hazard of car travel unnecessarily?

Personally I'm glad I live in a world where helmets exist and hope I can enjoy the freedom NOT to wear one, should I choose, as long as possible. Our freedom to choose our own level of risk in life is a very precious one.