Welcome to Gaia! ::

I really feel that the biggest problem here is the difference in ideals that are thrust upon people as they become adults.

On one hand, there's the 'gender brainwashing' that you get from day 1 in this world that tells you how "good" boys and "good" girls act. But then, you get a lot of this "individualist" crap, which tries to tell you that you are a special unique person different from everyone else, yet you're ALSO expected to follow mindless gender role stereotypes.

So, basically, after TOTALLY confusing these kids, they get dumped out in the real world where they start actually learning first hand the main rule of capitalism: Money is the bottom line for anything and everything.

So now, the gender roles are conflicting with the individualist roles which then conflicts with capitalistic roles. You can see where this is getting even confusing to TALK about.

The bottom line is, we're ALL expected to be "successful" because successful people make the people over them successful, and those people who are successful can afford leisure, beauty, and stuff, which are all considered tangible items to add to your "net worth" in capitalist society.

On top of that, though, there are biological urges as well as psychological urges to have a family or to be desired in specific gendered ways, that you must also contend with, but there are so many contradictions throughout all of these, that you practically have to segment your life into separate boxes to even DEAL with reality.

And so this is where we are today: trying to navigate between the expectations upon expectations.

No wonder therapy is popular these days.

Indeed.
However I do believe that women now have more freedom than men socially. With the women rights movement no longer were women forced to be looked upon as he housekeepers. Yes you will run into someone who believes in a raditional woman's role but that same person will also believe in a man's role which is more common in opinion.
Men are expected to be handsome, strong, with money. Determined and never shedding a tear unless necessary.
Granted society has let up on such ideals but from what I have seen this basic role is till upheld much more strictly than a woman.
While women have obtained much freedom, they do have some restrictions. However for men, despite the fact that we earn more money, we are also looked upon in a stricter manner.
It is one of the reason why male rape victims are much less likely to report a rape than a woman. because honestly, the thought of a man being raped makes many people go. How? Or he is a man he must have wanted the sex (add a million ignorant things)

Simply cause you're outside of societies vuews makes you the entire opposite,.
Sucks majorly I knoiw.
*hugs* I wubbles you for being unique woo hoo! heart