Gender is an Essential Characteristic

 

Gender is fascinating. Studies have shown that men and women differ in personality, and strengths and weaknesses. Men and women are both needed. Gordon B. Hinkley has said: "In His grand design, when God first created man, He created duality of the sexes. The ennobling expression of that duality is found in marriage. One individual is complementary to the other. As Paul stated, 'Neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord' (1 Corinthians 11:11). There is no other arrangement that meets the divine purposes of the Almighty. Man and woman are His creations. Their duality is His design. Their complementary relationships and functions are fundamental to His purposes. One is incomplete without the other." Overall, men and women differ in behaviors and attitudes. In fact, gender differences were observed and recorded in a video by John Stossel. What they have found is that, typically, women were more nurturing, cooperative, communicative, sensitive to emotional states, emotionally expressive, relation oriented, and have better fine motor skills. In comparison, men were typically more active, combative, competitive, spatial oriented, aggressive, myopic, and have better gross motor skills. Even more fascinating is that children were likely to behave in this manner even from a young age. In fact, children will typically behave this way even if they aren’t taught to do so. Take, for example, a young girl who plays with her barbie doll. What would you likely expect her to do with the barbie doll? Because females are typically better nurturers, we would guess for her to take care of it and nurture it. And this is true in most cases. But then her brother comes in the room and grabs the barbie doll from her. What does he do with it now? Her brother bends the barbie doll at her waist and aims it like a gun. This is very typical behavior for both boys and girls.

Now, I want to stress the importance of the word “typically”. Thankfully, this world is not “black and white”, and we have a variety of people with different behaviors, strengths, and attitudes toward certain things. For example, when I was a young baby getting my first photo, I was having a rough day. I wouldn’t stop crying when they handed me any type of girls’ toys to play with. Finally, when they handed me a simple ball, I stopped crying. Everybody has their own strengths and weaknesses to contribute, and it doesn’t mean that they are any less of a girl or a boy. Some girls might be more spatially oriented, and some guys might be more relation oriented. It’s also important to note that some guys may be born in a home with all sisters and that could influence some of his behaviors in the home, or vice versa. I grew up in a home with all older brothers, so there are aspects of my life that may influence some of my behaviors that make me who I am as a woman. We all have differences, and it’s a beautiful thing.

The important thing to note is that we are made the way we are for a reason. Research has shown that women and men typically behave very differently from each other. Both genders are needed, and both have unique attributes that make the world the way it is. One gender isn’t better than the other, but we do need each other. The characteristics that make us the way we are help us to better understand who we are and how we can influence those around us.