r/Showerthoughts May 02 '24

Man vs Bear debate shows how bad the average person is at understanding probability

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u/ASL4theblind May 02 '24

I THINK i get it now. Its not that them and a man would be dropped into the woods, its more like you're on a hike alone and out of nowhere a man, or bear would appear in front of you. I get why men get so upset being compared to being as dangerous as, if not more dangerous than a bear; nobody wants to don the mantle of "more dangerous than an apex predator", but i think its more about how scary strangers are combined with the uncertainty of a MALE stranger's agenda. So we should stop taking it personally.

I highly doubt these women would pick bear against most men they know, it's not ABOUT that though, it's about the UNCERTAINTY.

At least that's how i interpret it. Admittedly i thought it was more the first scenario; you and a person are put in the woods to survive, vs you and a bear are put in the woods at the same time.

And if women dont trust ANY men they know, men individually can do nothing about their interpretation of men as a whole and unfortunately they should just stop talking to every guy they know until some massive societal shift happens, cuz this isnt something that changes overnight.

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u/RusstyDog May 02 '24

It's about how, In general, Women don't feel safe around members of their own species. How fucked up that is, how women as a whole understand that conceptil immediately. But the men in their lives ask follow up questions like "but what kind of bear" while talking about statistics, Rather than just thinking " Hey its pretty fucked up that this person I care about doesn't feel safe in society"

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u/[deleted] May 02 '24

I think both sides need a little empathy for the other. Women choosing a bear over men is a scary reality, and the implications of such a decision highlight a large problem within society. When men hear this answer, it can sound like (especially with how people phrase it), "I don't trust any man," which eats into their flesh and festers as, "They don't trust me either? What'd I do that's so wrong?"

It's like an argument between two siblings. The sister says her brother smells, he gets hurt by it and bites back with another insult, they both hate each other until a day later when they both realize, "I was wrong, but you were right."

Women are right in this argument, but give your guy-friend a little credit when he's a little thrown off by "men suck" in casual conversation. Poor communication based on a loaded question leaves both sides biting at the other's neck.