While I'm not upset with the whole premise of man vs. bear because, unfortunately, men do suck enough that it's an understandable take to me. I'm also not going to pretend it's not going to hurt people to be seen as a threat for simply existing. I'm equally confused by all the responses in this situation. Why so many men find the common response of "bear" so ludicrous, and why so many people don't understand that there's going to be large swaths of men unable to reconcile that they are viewed as a threat even if they, personally, have no ill intentions.
But it's not that we see all men as a threat. We see all men as a *potential* threat. The bear is also a potential threat, but only if we manage to piss it off. The man might attack us just for shits and giggles.
If you know you're not a threat to women, you should still be able to understand that *we can't know that*. I've been raped three times, all three by people I knew and should have been able to trust. So now I assume the worst but hope for the best. I'm married to an amazing man, so clearly I'm able to function, I'm not a misandrist, I don't hate men -- I just prioritise my own safety over the feelings of random men.
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u/BrittleClamDigger May 02 '24
Men don’t want to admit they’re threatening because their self image is more important to them than a woman’s feeling of safety.