womens' propensity for understanding the need to care for others colours their thinking more than mens', who tend to be able to focus their minds more exclusively upon a subject, to the exclusion of all else.
what really makes it interesting is (and here i think Jung was right) that men, to fully actualise ourselves, need to understand not only how the male mind works, (which comes easier, as we are acculturated to that, because of our physical gender).
to be 'round' a man must learn to be tender and kind, like a woman (ideally).
to be 'whole' a woman needs to understand the virtues of a masculine mindset, and integrate them into her personality.
(self-deprecation alert) mens' agendas are much simpler to track, so women have it easier in this respect, lol. flamesuit on
there are -and probably always will be- differences, and that's exactly what makes the world go round in dynamic equilibrium, wobbly though it is.
as we proceed in our understanding of the 'other' and affirm that which binds us in similarity and difference, and see how we hold both sides of the equation, their tensions and resolutions, inside us, we will maintain better internal balance, and reflect that in our daily dealings with both sexes...
men and women who try to become caricatures of extreme one-sided 'genderness' do it because of insecurity, and fall into parody territory. it's not about androgynity either, i believe, fusing into some asexual sameness, but taking the best of both-and, and thus expanding one's range of feeling more fully human.
wha used to be mystifyingly frustrating about the love-battle of the sexes, is revealing itself with time as being fascinating and charming, though still able to tug the rug from under reality occasionally.
it'd be nice if more of the feminine persuasion participated here, and i think maybe they will with time, though on one level, it is what it is, and trying to resteer it may be lumpier than leaving it alone. it's great we have some women here at all, and i think we men could put our ears a little closer to the ground sometimes and listen to what they're saying more, between the lines.
i do find women do subtly unpredictable better, though some men have greatly and pleasantly surprised me in this regard. ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
so yes in terms of transcending limitations, no as regards transcending as abandoning in any way. it's inclusive...
by abandoning i means smoothing over the differences, i think transcendence is the celebration of the combination of the polarities, it is its child, its celebration. ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
it's getting more ok to have friends of either sex, as excessive formality slowly gives way to more tolerant and relaxed attitudes to life, and a more balanced personality, playful with the differences, and comfortable both sides of the fence.
one is a lot less circumscribed than before, we are learning to trust that it's ok to be different, there's a place for that in the scene of things, in fact that's what gives life its mystery.
in some ways, the more obvious one's cultural roots are, the more likely one is to be somewhat narrow in perspective, even if one can be deeply grounded and strengthened by the healthy roots that implies.
of course some traditions give false strength, such as the myth that our tribe is of necessity superior to another.
reality gets its way and dismembers illusions eventually, though the road there can be long and arduous. likewise with our losing our apprehensions about communication across the Great Divide of gender, we all had a parent or sibling of the other persuasion, so it shouldn't be so strange, after all...
except it is!
it really helps to get that we can't be complete until we suss our complementary opposite, and meet in the middle. that's the alchemy, where the dross, the pettiness burns off and the gold of who we really are can shine. ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
