The culture of male success: Men are more likely to self-handicap (invent obstacles) to avoid perceptions they are incapable

fondueguy · 2012-05-24T17:35:33+00:00

While research assessing differences in reported self-handicapping have revealed no gender differences [16] or greater self-handicapping among females, [3][19] the vast majority of research suggests that males are more inclined to behaviourally self-handicap.

So men feel more shamed from their failures (man up) than women. Interesting that women said they felt more ashamed than they really were.

Looking at myself I think shame does motivate many of the things I do... I'm not sure how ok with this I am.

DoctorStorm · 2012-05-25T03:45:25+00:00

I see this in action all the time when speaking with my employees.

Men, more often than not in my experience, are more likely to self-handicap, and provide excuses and justifications for why something's not done, something's not done right, things aren't moving along, etc.

I try to keep an eye out for such behavior so I can cut it off at the pass, and most times I'm successful and can make their job/life easier while getting what I was initially after as well.

It's not that hard, really. "Look, it's a shame you've had such a hectic, taxing week at home, and I'm not saying you're lazy, I just want to know if you'd finished up with the comps for client X. if you haven't, please stay on top of it, the deadline's three weeks from now and we need your drafts by next Wednesday."

Nine times out of ten, if I cut the bullshit, the bullshit's cut, but my point is I do see this in action, and I do notice it more in men than women.

That said, women are more likely to expect shit excuses to pass as viable explanations, and I find that equally as annoying as men self-handicapping. The men want to explain in a variety of reasonable ways why something's not done, the women expect that unreasonable excuses will be accepted outright and go unquestioned. It persists because it works, and it's hard to get rid of.

For those who've managed or run a company, you empathize deeply when I say it's a million times easier to fire a man than it is a woman, even if you have every reason and every right to do so.

Title	The culture of male success: Men are more likely to self-handicap (invent obstacles) to avoid perceptions they are incapable
Author	Marcel_Ledbetter
Upvotes	10
Comments	3
Date	May 24, 2012 4:43 PM UTC (14 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/u2z39/the_culture_of_male_success_men_are_more_likely/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/the-culture-of-male-success-men-are-more-likely-to.1021163 https://theredarchive.com/post/1021163

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