Are Women Really Better At Almost Everything?

Dan Abram's book, Man Down, is the latest in a series of articles and books that challenge many of our long-held beliefs about women, and what it means to men. Having not read the book, yet (I ordered it yesterday), I don't know what it means to men in terms of the Abram's research, but I'm beginning to get a picture of how some men are reacting to it, which seems strange, since it's obviously a book meant to amuse, not prove.

Abrams is a legal analyst for ABC News and a former lawyer, and says he approached the topic as a defense attorney, using evidence that already exists to debunk popular myths about women.

“In nearly every field, statistics and studies show that women are better collaborators, are more cautious and more adept at navigating treacherous terrain,” writes Abrams in his book’s opening statement. “I am not convinced that women as a group play basketball or read maps better than men. The evidence here will show, however, that women are living longer and evolving better than men.” It takes a lot for a man to admit his own weaknesses (there’s a chapter on how women tolerate pain better), so we wondered why Abrams would make the case for women. Turns out, it’s a man’s job.

 The book touches on a lot of silly things, but apparently ignores the more serious questions like violent crime and child abandonment, much more stark differences between men and women. It's not a book about who's better.

The feedback I'm getting from men seems to come from two different directions.

The first, an egalitarian and relativistic perspective that seems to say that no one is better than anyone else, and that we are all one, and that comparisons create the illusion of separation. This approach, in my opinion, is a self-permission for men not to look at where they need to do their work. Improve? But we're all perfect just as we are!  It's an unwillingness to look objectively at what's going on and a shadow move to change the subject.

The second approach is defensive and reactionary, all the while making arguments that actually support Abrams' findings. The remarkable part of this approach is that it uses assumptions to argue against what it sees as assumptions. Have you read the book?

But the facts are undeniable: Women are surpassing men in leadership positions, valedictorian addresses, graduation rates, jobs after graduation, and even salaries. Women seem to have found their adaptability muscles, and men seem to be struggling with change. My experience is that women are better at evolving than most men. I've never been approached by a man and been asked, "where are all the conscious women?" On the other hand....well, you get the picture.

One of the reviews on Amazon called this book called it the perfect gift for your favorite male chauvinist.

So to wrap this up, let's move away from the book and take a deeper look at what's going on with men today - especially American men. This isn't about better, or some imagined hierarchy of right and wrong. This is about centuries of patriarchy, where even though most men were also victims of it and not perpetrators, it has numbed us as men. It's time for us to wake up. Those of you who are offended by what appears to be the duality and separation of what feels like a contest-like mentality demonstrated in the book need to back up and take a look at your shadow around this. Instead of Abrams' Man Down, maybe its' a wake up call to New Man-Up.

Here's the full title and a link to where you can buy the book: Man Down: Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt That Women Are Better Cops, Drivers, Gamblers, Spies, World Leaders, Beer Tasters, Hedge Fund Managers, and Just About Everything Else.

For a more serious look at what's going on with men today, read the first chapter of my book, "Awakening The New Masculine."