do you feel like you have a male brain in a female body?

Post Reply New Topic

Do you ever feel like you have a male or at least a not-quite-female brain in a female body?

Male, no. I do occasionally feel as though I have a neuter brain, though.

I'm not into the macho stuff or sports, though I have - used to have - the same level of touchy pride as a guy. I consider myself gender-neutral-female but about as femmy as Asimov's Susan Calvin (who - Hollywood to the contrary - was considered to be half a robot herself. Read the book.)

I'm a bookworm. And I used to hang out with lesbians some until I hit the notion that if you don't play the game, you're Not One Of Us (none of MY friends ever said that, though) or until their androgynous phase gave way to the revival of butch/femme. But still the women most like me are Alison Bechdel's "Dykes to Watch Out For." Except for Mo who is so politically correct and so agonized about it I want to shake her. And except for the one who wants to be a drag king.

I think the male brain is more of a social construct than an actual biological entity. I think there is more nurture than nature to the gender of our brains. Males act the way they do because they are given certain privileges and ascribed certain cultural roles. I don't think it has alot to do with their biological brains. I find it rather insulting when certain experts describe autism as the result of an extreme male brain.

It would be alot easier if I HAD one of those handy dandy male brains. I think that if I had a male brain then I would not feel terribly sad when people were treated badly, or feel any pain related to injustice when I or someone I loved or cared about was oppressed. If I had a white male brain then it is likely I would not even be able to relate to oppression. I would perceive that everyone who had "a difference" that deviated from my own experience was out to get me though, so that would be a bad thing. But still, it would have certain advantages. As an aspie with a white male brain I'd probably be living in my parent's basement and espousing some sort of trendy libertarian political view, which is nothing more than an ideology that supports white male privilege. Unfortunately, while I might WISH for a male brain, I have not experienced the social influences that would create the privileged male brain. The most advantageous scenario would be if I had somehow been able to acquire an NT male brain, because then I would really be able to make the big bucks and screw the competition in the NT world.

I know some middle class professional women who really aspire and work very hard to act like they have male brains, but that is only because they are rewarded by acting like a "man" in order to succeed in their profession.

When I was young, I wanted to be a girl for a while thinking that it would mean I'd stop being physically "beat-up" every day. After all, it is wrong to hit a girl, right? Then, I paid attention and watched how incredibly mean girls/women are to each other and started/continue to count my blessings that I am male.

It is true females are often cruel to each other, especially when they are children. But women are statistically much less likely than men to be rapists or pedophiles and other types of scum of the earth, so I am content with my female brain.

Most of my friends over the years have been men. Most of my interests (other than having babies) have been "male" interests. Whenever I've taken "quizes" or "test" or "assessments", they've generally indicated that I think more like a guy than average women do.

Last week I was at a transfer day for those of us who just got accepted at Stanford as transfers from another college. I ended up hanging out with the guys - I have no idea what the women were chatting about but they really annoyed me because it seemed like they spent their time during the tour gossiping instead of listening and then asking the questions that were already answered. Really annoyed me.

Anyways - I tend to understand guys a whole lot more than women. So, um, I think that I do have a more male-type brain than female. Although it would be really really kewl to get in an MRI and find out how my corpus collosum compares to other women.

I feel that I have a Male Brain in a Female Body. Most of my Interests have always been Masculine. I also find it hard to fallow Female type conversations. I also have a voice that's somewhat deep for a Woman.

Eh? You seem to have a pretty messed up view of men. You don't seriously think men are emotionally blunted, self-centered, apathetic, paranoid and delusional people, do you? And what is this oppression you speak of that men should be more aware of?

@anandamide: That is a very strange generalisation...

Anyways, to answer the question. When I was young, I was convince I was a boy. Even strangers thought I was a boy. I had a boyish haircut, I hung around with boys, I played male-orientated games, and I sounded like a boy. Nowadays I view myself as a female.

I think I am not really like MALE or FEMALE but some sort of neutral gender with both qualities.

I am a tomboy though not 100% because I hate sports and I can't stand beer. But I love videogames, including violent ones. I am completely straight though so I totally dig the right kinda guy, and I also am very loving and very romantic and a good listener, don't care for sex that much, so this is all feminine. I look and feel feminine but not overly so. I HATE buying clothes and jewlerry, but I still make sure to make myself look feminine and presentable. I have way more GUY friends, I get along with them. the only female friends I have are misunderstood gamers too.

Maybe we are starting to see the evolution begin of a THIRD SEX! lol.

all this time from your posting I never knew you were a female.. i always thought you were male.. hope that does not offend you.. i am so not into the FEMALE shallow attitude that I hear from so many of the woman I work with.. its purid.. I am so sick to death of hearing who won the latest reality TV show.. I think these folks need to get a life.. and do so soon.. i don't think i am big time into sports as most men are but I loathe the female attitude.. my mother in laws comment when her son was going to marry me.. OH GOD my son is gonna marry a TOMBOY! she was very surprised to see me on my wedding morning looking like a tasteful female.. i think she was really surprised.. my comment when she came running up to me... "gee I clean up pretty good don't I mom?"

I don't have a messed view of all men. But it is TRUE that men, statisically, are more likely than women to be violent and abusive. Statistics show that most of the world's poor are women and children, most rapists, pedophiles and other abusers are men. It's not a generalization at all. I don't know if you've ever cracked a textbook to read about this, but it is an established fact that women are more economically and sexually oppressed by men around the world. I have a BIG issue with anyone saying that the aspie brain is an extreme male brain because to say that denotes that we, as aspie women, are more like those male brains that commit all these atrocities. So called experts have said alot of stupid things about Autism and to say that the aspie brian is an extreme male brain is one of the stupidest most sexist comments I've ever heard. Geez, while we're at it why don't we just bring back Bettelhiem and his ideas about autism being caused by "refridgerator" mothers?

If you have read about gender you will learn that there is a huge debate going, has been since the year dot, as to whether our genders are created predominantly by nurture or by nature. I agree with those who say that there is far more nurture to our genders, and that our personalities are not dictated by some biological sexual apparatus.

The extreme male brain theory is sixty years old. Asperger's believed men were more analytical and showed more intelligence. He believed that women were more suited to empathic roles such as childcare. Many people believe now that these gender roles are largely the product of culture.

Recently the extreme male brain theory was updated by Simon Baron-Cohen, a Cambridge University professor of psychology and psychiatry. Baron-Cohen states that "the female brain is predominantly hard-wired for empathy, while the male brain is predominantly hard-wired for understanding and building systems."

I find it very insulting that Baron-Cohen has taken a sexist theory developed SIXTY years ago to perpetuate the myth that only men can achieve "understanding" and create systems. Alot of men I know couldn't analyse enough to wipe their own asses properly without some woman to help them. I am not saying that all men are BAD. Statistically they do iinflict more crime, but that is because of our culture that supports male privilege. I like and have liked many men based on their individual merits. But this underlying idea that men are somehow more capable at intellectual activities and logic is CRAP.

But HELL if an EXPERT said it then it must be TRUE. And aspies everywhere jump on his bandwagon largely because of their own sexist views toward women.

I have more of a male mind.

Very female in that I am a very emotional person, and do things by feeling - I'll weigh things up logically but will end up going by how I feel instead. But male in that I can't see how others are feeling, I don't know how to help people and ... bleh. I get frustrated by that.

I guess in terms of interests I'm probably more male - I generally tend to share far more interests with males than females.