What’s Great About Guys?

I wish I could meet Mr. Diamond's friends - or some nice friends of theirs. Maybe I need to move to an area which has a higher percentage of wonderful men - like Marin county. I think the men in the Boston area are mostly damaged: the irish catholic curse. Nice to know there are so many nice guys out there somewhere. Sad that once again they are all taken! :)

What do these guys have in common? They care. My response: Yes, these guys care. But quite frankly this is more rare than reality. To be fair, the same can be said about women. Except most women I know love way too much for their own good. They're not afraid to feel. My response: Again, it's a rare breed of man that really shows his feelings. Then there are those who are over the top dramatic and emotional...in my experiences, the older they get...the more they take on the emotional role of the woman. They are strong in ways that really count. My response: Women are equally as strong...again..rare is the man who can accept a strong woman, not be intimidated by it, and balance it with his own strength. They are always learning and growing emotionally. My response: Not always. This is a generalization They are creative. My response: I haven't met one yet. I too am a single, divorced woman in my early 50's who has been dating off and on for the last 8 years. Creativity never came into play on the male part. I expended more energy trying to be creative, understanding, nurturing, caring...I'm outta energy folks. They have real courage. My response: They have more courage to walk away and give up too easily They can be counted upon. My response: Do you know how many times that I have heard..."I will always be there for you...24/7...whenever you need me call me...ha! They aren't afraid to fail. My response: Men are definitely more afraid to fail then women are. It's that ego thing. They never give up. My response: I was given up on a few times because the other half just couldn't deal with his own life issues. As a result, our relationship suffered and ended. Get your stuff together..man! They love and are loved. My response: When I love, I love unconditionally. And as much as a man says he wants this...again..rare is the man who knows how to accept it let alone reciprocate unconditionally. They act like men at a time when it isn't always easy to do so. My response: They act like children..even when they are 50+ Am I jaded? Yes Will I trust again? Probably not I'm going into the convent.

This article is silly and offensive. All men are not great--any more than all women, gays, Spanish-speakers, redheads, people in wheelchairs, or people of color are "great." This sort of essentialist thinking--that a single characteristic (gender, ethnicity, whatever) defines who we are and what we are like--is the basis of all forms of oppression. Some men are great, sure. Some, not so much. And that is true of any group you can think of. And if our society really denigrates and ridicules men, then most of our political leaders and corporate CEOs--indeed, the large majority of people with power and money--would be women, right? And it would be women that we mainly value for their brain and accomplishments and not their looks, right? Please.

This was such a wonderful article. It enlightened me significantly and truly helped me understand men. I am in my early 50' s a divorcee, raising two adolescent daughters. I have dated since my divorce and currently involved in a long-distance realtionship. Reading this article opened my eyes and enlightened me in such a way. I was propelled to answer the final question. It made me think! " I had many responses. But to sum it up: I would say nothing can replace a "good, wonderful man and all the benefits he brings to a relationship." I was so enthralled by this article I have sent it to several friends. Men as well as women. I have sent it to men in support, and women to enlighten them !

There is alot of truth in what Jed Diamond states especially for older men like me who are in their fifties. Society and the government have a tendency to put men down so thus there is a lack of leadership because men who do not want the stress and criticism when they make the effort to be a leader.

Who is the gentlemen in the photo...if not Jed Diamond? Is this not misrepresentation? The article was believable until I clicked on the name and another photo showed. What's the deal?