General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Will men ever start seeing woman as people first, sex objects last? [View all]quaker bill
(8,267 posts)The notion that men did not see women as "sex objects" when they wore "long dresses with long sleeves and high necks" has no basis in fact.
I see professionals as professionals and do not typically pay notice to gender. This has resulted in occasional confusion where women have misread this as my interest in forming a relationship. Some women do find being treated equally, and listened to as a professional with an equally valued opinion, quite attractive, apparently. It is typically not a problem to get past, as I usually start talking about my wife and kids, problem solved.
People are people. They have a sexual aspect and a more intellectual aspect. These two things do not truly separate where you have all one and none of the other. It is our nature. It is Puritan to believe that one is good and the other evil, and also to believe that one can be purged and the other remain. The question is a matter of degrees. No person should be judged for professional competence on their physical attractiveness. This does not mean that they cease being attractive.