“Too bad. Guys, get over it, and stop the flirting. It will come back to bite you in the butt.”
And conversely,, don’t expect us to let you take the cab when it’s raining, or fix your flat. If you don’t want to let us act like a man,,, and insist that we act like gender blind soviets, then don’t be surprised when we do exactly what you say.
If you want the SLIGHTEST female deference, (and of course,,you do) then we get to flirt. Too bad,, get over it.
I don't agree at all.
If this is what Cain was thinking (and, unfortunately, too many men **DO** agree with you) it is at best an indicator of poor judgment and often an indicator of something a whole lot worse.
This isn't about being “gender-blind soviets.” A man who cares about chivalry will open doors, fix flat tires, let the woman take the cab in the rain, etc., without expecting anything in return — least of all getting the “right” to flirt with her.
If you're married (as most men in positions of power are), you don't get the right to flirt with other women. If you do, you're being disrespectful to your wife and you deserve the consequences at home and at work.
Even if you rationalize your behavior because your wife doesn't care and she long ago decided to put up with your behavior, sooner or later you'll flirt with the wrong woman and she'll either accuse you of sexual harassment or she'll get you into a situation where she can use her relationship against you.
If you're single and you find a woman attractive and she's both single and interested, flirting is fine. If you're both single and willing, then flirt unless she says “no,” and recognize that “no” means “no.”
Of course, if you're in a position of authority over her, that creates complications which may or may not be solvable — if you want to flirt with your cute single secretary or cute single intern or cute single student, you'd better darn well be careful or you're stupid. It's one thing if she really does understand she can say “no” — but how many secretaries, interns, or students feel comfortable with their boss or their teacher asking them out on a date? I'm not saying it can't happen, especially if the two have known each other for years or have pre-existing non-romantic personal relationships outside of work, but it sure is difficult.
This isn't rocket science. It isn't even really Judeo-Christian moral values. It's just plain common sense if you want a happy home and a happy work life.
When men don't understand that, it often says a great deal about their personal character. I know some men are faithful to their wives while flirting with lots of women, but why on earth would someone who is in a position of power and interested in politics want to see how close they can come to the fire before getting burned? At best it shows poor judgment, and often is an indicator of something much worse.