about what it means to be a man or woman, and Men are from Mars,

Women are from Venus keeps getting recommended to me like it’s

gospel. Here’s the thing: the book perfectly illustrates a pattern we

see everywhere. The same behaviours—complaining, offering advice,

needing reassurance, getting defensive—are cast as reasonable when men

do them and unreasonable when women do them. Gray’s men are emotionally

fragile and his women just want basic partnership, but somehow it’s the

women who need to lower their expectations. This isn’t about men and

women. It’s about how we frame identical behaviours differently based on

who’s doing them.

Further Reading

and women are from earth, fool pt. I - On Gray’s credentials and

Chapter 2’s absurdities

and women are from earth, fool pt. II - On how Gray’s “Martians” are

actually just poorly attached people

and women are from earth, fool pt. III - On how women’s ordinary

needs are cast as unreasonable

References

Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now? - British Vogue - Chanté

Joseph’s viral article on modern dating

Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus (Wikipedia)

Gray (author) - Wikipedia

Homecoming and Belonging - Sebastian Junger - On why young men join

the military

essentialism

dimorphism in humans

article on sex differences in the brain

of Mars and Venus (book) - Academic critique of Gray’s work

Pacific University - Gray’s fraudulent PhD

Warning Letter to John Gray’s Mars Venus LLC

are better at using soft skills crucial for leadership - Korn

Ferry

sensitivity

theory and styles