3 thoughts on “A Neurotic”

  1. A neurotic is a man who thinks God doesn’t exist.

    A psychotic is the man who thinks he is God.

    A psychiatrist is the man who thanks God for neurotics and psychotics.

    Oh, and Jerome Lawrence is a sexist pig.

    P.S. a neurotic is an SJW of any sex or gender who sees sexism amd #MeToo everywhere he/she/it/? looks.

    • Because I was born in a female body, I was raised as female. Treated as female. Dressed as female. Socialized as female.

      Female socialization includes, for many young females and those Assigned Female At Birth (AFAB), a particular kind of education we learn from our mothers. We are taught to be polite. We are taught not to complain. We are taught not to be assertive or make demands we have no “right” to (demands we have a “right” to make is a whole different post–and, yes, “right” is in quotes for a reason, because female-identified people rarely have as much right to make demands as those Assigned Male At Birth, particularly the cisgender lot, realize–even as they exert their power over those “rights”). We are taught to give in and give way. We are taught to smile at the strangers we pass on the street, while they, particularly those socialized as male, usually don’t even notice us. AFAB people more often meet each other’s gazes and smile at each other on the street. AMAB of both cis and non cis varieties rarely make the effort.

      Our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, elder sisters–and our friends, both male and female, reinforce this behavior, often in subtle ways someone who isn’t transgender doesn’t notice. Sexism isn’t always overt. In fact it’s far more often subtle, I’d say even hidden in the way we socialize AFAB–both cisgender as well as non cis AFAB–people.

      While I don’t see #MeToo everywhere, I have been sexually harassed by a male boss. I have been catcalled. Male-identified people have made suggestive remarks based on my female body, presuming a willingness to perform certain activities I did not actually express in any way prior to their remarks.

      I’m not saying sexism is everywhere. I am saying it’s the predominant point of view our society socializes us to have of each other. There are exceptions, and those exceptions on the cismale side of things are valuable to every female-bodied person, whether cis female or AFAB.

      A note on “rights”: You have, in your final statement, denied female-identified people the right to speak out with your declaration that we are neurotic for seeing sexism and #MeToo “everywhere.” Yes, I see you included “any sex or gender,” but how often do you hear male-identified people calling each other “neurotic”?

      And THAT is a sign of how subtly people are trained to be sexist.

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