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Nature of Friendship Among Women Explored
Wisconsin State Journal ^ | July 9, 2005 | Jay Rath

Posted on 07/10/2005 6:46:42 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin

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A nice, simple subject to discuss on a Sunday Afternoon. Shouldn't get anyone too riled up. ;)
1 posted on 07/10/2005 6:46:42 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
I had to pull away from a friend a few years ago due to I was headed one way and she was not....it was nothing personal but we just didn't have anything in common to talk about. I have found that friends in my teens and early 20's are still my best....we have all grown up and stay in contact.

"that women are rivals for the attention, love, and approval of men and that they therefore can't really be friends (with other women),"
I don't agree with this...maybe young girls do this but if grown women have to compete with a friend then maybe they should find a new set!!
2 posted on 07/10/2005 7:08:01 AM PDT by PaulaB (Light Travels Faster Than Sound, Which Is Why Some People Appear Bright Until You Hear Them Speak)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

funny!

many women i've known hate each other's guts, contrary to feminist dogma.


3 posted on 07/10/2005 7:11:48 AM PDT by ken21 (it takes a village to brainwash your child + to steal your property! /s)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

"friendships are rooted in a fundamentally adversarial attitude toward men."

This isn't friendship, it's a therapy session.


4 posted on 07/10/2005 7:40:07 AM PDT by jwh_Denver (Socialism, Communism, Fascism, Liberalism; self anger turned outward.)
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To: PaulaB

My pack of four "best" girlfriends have all been together for 25+ years now; friendships formed in our early 20's.

As far as getting together to trash talk men, with five divorces between us, I will admit that, YES that has happened in the past, LOL! We're all finally settled down with really great guys now, so that's no longer an issue.

Now we're facing more important things such as aging gracefully, empty nests and new grandkids, various bouts of cancer, menopause, vericose veins, plastic surgery decisions, and politics; ALWAYS with the politics, LOL!

You know, IMPORTANT things instead of the stupidity we considered Oh So Important in our youth. :)


5 posted on 07/10/2005 8:39:43 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
many of these friendships are rooted in a fundamentally adversarial attitude toward men

..and toward other women.

This may well explain why I have had better friendships with men than I EVER had with women. EVER. I was talking to another woman today, and she was saying the same thing, she has only ever had one female friend, the rest have been men. From childhood I have NEVER understood all of the drama involved with females. I don't understand the game-playing. The superficiality. You can't be different or disagree without things getting personal.

Men are simpler. Not necessarily simplistic, just simpler. I can have a rousing debate with a male friend and later, yes, talk about hopes, dreams, goals, even emotions.

My problem as a 23 year old woman is that most of my friendships with men inevitably turn romantic some way or another. And if we're not going to start a romantic relationship and get married, then our friendship suffers. Most men who approach me probably do so because they're interested in a romantic relationship, and then it ends up becoming a friendship when they realize how cool I am, but that is never satisfactory for very long.

I've got to find a way to develop friendships with women in my real, offline life. But I just don't get them.

6 posted on 07/10/2005 7:53:38 PM PDT by DameAutour
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To: DameAutour

I have known several women that I only wanted to be friends with.

I have discovered that there is no greater insult to a woman than that.

It's hopeless.

:)



7 posted on 07/10/2005 8:59:51 PM PDT by Tobor
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Comment #8 Removed by Moderator

To: DameAutour
I also have had mostly male friends my entire life. At 41, my best friends are still men...on-line and off. My husband still has a hard time with that, but I can't relate to most women. I don't like all those prissy, "let's talk about knitting or my latest flower arrangement". I want to get out and play sports, watch sports, work on a car, and just get dirty. I love to play...I'm just an adult size kid, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Even my teenage daughters tell their friends how cool I am...or their friends just tell me. I did have one friend from high school that I stayed friends with into adulthood, but about 5 years ago, she told me that she wanted to "sleep" with me. I haven't talked to her since....and that sure didn't help my trust issues with women.
9 posted on 07/11/2005 1:08:53 AM PDT by codyjacksmom (Yes, my kids are people too.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

I still found it funny how women all go to the bathroom together. What goes on there that you need to do that?


10 posted on 07/11/2005 1:12:07 AM PDT by Clemenza (Where is the Genius of Love?)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Most women don't make for friends with others, and most women really harm other females...

I have to admit, some of the most viscious and irrational harms caused to me in my life has been done intentionally by other women.

I think it has most to do with females competing for resources. Whether they are aware of it or not. I do know, however, that females are aware of their hate and hateful actions where other females are concerned....they just can never explain it beyond some start flash point issue.

Loss of a genuinely, non harmful friendship with another woman is why it's so profoundly painful. Because it's so rare.


11 posted on 07/11/2005 3:53:41 AM PDT by BIRDS
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

I've rarely had a good female friend.


12 posted on 07/11/2005 3:59:15 AM PDT by cyborg (http://mentalmumblings.blogspot.com/)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

I also think it's the leading compulsion for eating disorders and other psychological problems of self...mutilations and/or overt cosmetic improvements, obsessions of the physical, by women.

It's as if many females are literally driven insane by the needs to compete and it's never stated or clearly defined and often discouraged from even being discussed without a lot of strife affiliated, thus, women internalize the threats and harassment that is inherent in female competition.

Men get together and at least bond and relax and enjoy mutually supportive group efforts...women rarely do that. Even sewing circles, things of that nature, are traditionally rife with women all competing with one another, as to who has the "best" gossip, etc...

Which is why women gossip, also. It's a form of destroying other females (competitors) and trying to get some other competitors into a sorta' truce...let's all gossip about someone we can all agree to destroy (which is what gossip is all about, destroying someone else)...in my experience, anyone who behaves like that is proving that they're capable of also destroying anyone else, thus aren't trustworthy (and thus, I don't participate, and disassociate).

Men gossip, too, I realize, but the behavior is the basis relied upon by many women about which to have anything "in common" with other females they wouldn't be spending time with, otherwise.

Might have something to do with the fact that females as children are not raised to participate as much in group activities as are males...and when they do, they are demeaned by other females and then the psychological problems manifest at teen years: rebelliousness and/or self harms, etc.


13 posted on 07/11/2005 4:00:36 AM PDT by BIRDS
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To: jwh_Denver

No, actually, I think that if there's anything fundamental, it's resentment/adversarial attitudes to and about other females.

I THINK -- just generalized best-guessing -- that it has to do with resentment about males who are perceived as not having helped/aided some women (in their troubles with/among other females), not having been shown any favoritism by males (fathers when growing up?), and a sense of feeling betrayed by women (their mothers?), and thus, they gravitate toward other females who suffer the same resentments.

But, it's not friendship, it's just a need for companionship to a certain degree.

I also think -- please don't anyone scream and yell about this, it's just a consideration I'm considering -- that this is the nature/source of that strange obsession by some females about cats: they can't deal with the antagonisms outright, that whole scenario I described, first paragraph, and thus internalize/isolate and supplant the problems that result from that level of psyhcological rage/isolation with cats. Captive animals contained in their homes who are highly sensual (responsive to emotional needs) and yet, who left on their own initiative, would be the wild animals outofdoors that cats are.

I always find it interesting when vets advise (sternly) that cat owners keep their cats indoors. Ask them why, and they roll their eyes: because if you let them out, they'll get into fights and catch diseases and reproduce and...

Meaning, the indoor-captive-cat thing by some females (and some males but it's mostly a common problem of females) is a sortof control mechanism by which they can not deal with the reality of our human world, and that is the female dynamic that harms females.

The "womens' movement" isn't so much about helping women as it is about the same process: avoiding personal reconciliation to the real problem among humanity, where female competition is concerned. Unfortunately, males become the target...but, in fact, males ARE the target, when you think about it.


14 posted on 07/11/2005 4:11:58 AM PDT by BIRDS
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To: Clemenza

"What goes on there that you need to do that?"

We assess one another's dates. Then we formulate ways to quickly lose the losers and then go out and have fun together, LOL!

Haven't you ever watched "Sex and the City?" ;)


15 posted on 07/11/2005 6:25:31 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin; pissant; Allegra; Dashing Dasher; MikeinIraq
"Men seem to have a hard time understanding women, and it really is nice to have someone understand you," says Jenny Bryers, a UW- Madison graduate student.

Hmm, let's see. Understand women, or build bridge to Hawaii? Guess I better decide how many lanes that will be.

16 posted on 07/11/2005 6:31:09 AM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: cyborg
I've rarely had a good female friend.

I've had what I thought were good female friends, but more often than not, the relationships ended badly. As an adult, I've decided that if I need to confide in a female, I'll talk to one of my sisters.

17 posted on 07/11/2005 6:33:15 AM PDT by SilentServiceCPOWife
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To: BIRDS

Wow. You've put a lot of though into your observations!

However, many of us leave those behaviors behind in Junior High. Or maybe it's just that I'm older than you and things were different in my youth when I was forming friendships? I must've picked some great friends, because besides the normal "pecking order" squabbling of young girls, female friendships were never as you've described for me.

Looking back, I think I always was the Leader of the Pack, though. Could they have been talking about ME and ripping me to shreds behind my back but never confronted me on it?

Nah. They were all strong, successful, good-student, life-grabbers as I was. We had no need to tear one another down to build our individual selves up. Water seeking it's own level and all that.

If what you say is true, then no wonder there are so many messed up young women wandering around out there these days.

I raised three boys. From what I understand from my other friends with daughters, I was infinately lucky. ;)


18 posted on 07/11/2005 6:35:30 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
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To: BIRDS
"Most women don't make for friends with others, and most women really harm other females...

I have to admit, some of the most viscious and irrational harms caused to me in my life has been done intentionally by other women."

OK. I was going to respond to the article, but you did it for me.

All my friends are men and I have known them for years. I have NEVER had a girl friend who was honest. I can tolerate any flaws in anyone (drink, gamble, swear, be anything you want), but honesty is the one trait which is absolutely necessary.
19 posted on 07/11/2005 7:02:09 AM PDT by SMARTY ("Stay together, pay the soldiers and forget everything else." Lucius Septimus Severus)
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To: Larry Lucido; pissant; MikeinIraq; Dashing Dasher
Hmm, let's see. Understand women, or build bridge to Hawaii? Guess I better decide how many lanes that will be.

ROFL! Yep.

Actually, I have always had more male platonic friends than female friends. Boyfriends have just had to deal with it. ;-)

I hate shopping, I think gossip is boring, I don't feel the need to be all catty and backstabby and I never watched stuff on the Lifetime channel. I'm an NFL and MLB fan.

But I'm very much a "girly-girl" and get along well with women who have plenty of self-confidence.

And guys. For friends.

Which can kind of suck because sometimes the guy friendships threaten to turn into more and then you're left with the ...."do we want to risk screwing up a good friendship?" dilemma.

Now see how simple that is? We're not hard to understand at all! LOL

20 posted on 07/11/2005 7:17:58 AM PDT by Allegra (On the Rocks With Salt, Please...)
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