"It's worse for women"

I still clearly remember a girl who told me many years ago that she wished she had been born a man because "everything would be so much easier." A few days ago a woman told me that she hoped her baby would be a boy because she was worried about the unique challenges girls face.

I fully respect these sentiments, and I would not presume to speculate on how difficult women's lives are. But I am still puzzled because, simply put -- how would they know?

Is it because of our "Homer Simpson" stereotype of men as simple-minded dummies? Is it because men express themselves (and complain) less? Or is it just because the grass is always greener on the other side?

This is not a particularly deep thought. It is just a spur-of-the-moment that I hope stimulates some discussion. My two cents is that sex is probably not even one of the most important factors in predicting how easy/hard one's life will be.