Vreleksá

eldin raigmore · Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2010 4:50 pm Post subject: "Male Answer Syndrome"

I know for a fact I'm not the only American man who thinks that American men have a tendency to answer any question whether or not they actually know the answer. I don't exclude myself, though I hope I'm more temperate about it than some others I know.

But if you Google for "Male Answer Syndrome" you'll come up with a lot of different copies of the same joke. (I think some of them credit each other and some are simple plagiarism.)

I've got two questions, both serious (well, more serious than those jokes, anyway);

(1) Is this really a tendency among all men, or only among men in American and similar cultures? (Guys, if you don't know, you don't have to answer. OTOH if you know who I should ask, please say so.)

(2) The joke sites seem to imply that this is "male display behavior" -- that men, especially if witnessed by women, and especially especially if asked a question by a woman, feel that they have to answer as well as they can and with as much certainty as they can simulate, in order to prove their masculinity.

I don't think that's true. I think it's more sort of like my own Aspergerish tendency to assume that, if someone asks me a question, they must want an answer.

But I don't really know. Does anyone here? If not, does anyone here know who probably does know?

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Thanks.
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Tom
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Tolkien_Freak · Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2010 11:55 pm Post subject:

(I'm answering! Razz

)
I can seriously relate though - I feel weird about leaving posts unanswered here (and then fret about seeming like I reply too much).

kyonides · Joined: 28 Aug 2008 Posts: 301

Well, since Costa Rican society is still mainly chauvinistic, I know many would answer someone's questions asap and as accurate as possible... or just tell a lie to put an end to that possible uncomfortable situation. There are some situations where I have noticed this doesn't happen as often as one would think like when you are talking (or a female does) to a farmer or ranger or common construction guy. They would normally admit they don't know something if they can make up a short story regarding your original question.

I'm sure this "male answer syndrome" would actually happen more often if you're at your workplace and a nasty coworker or a boss is asking you a question.

Oh, I forgot to mention there's something else that might also happen here. If you tell some kind of people that you don't know the answer, they don't believe you and demand a straight answer from you (especially if she's a beautiful and / or young girl).

BTW, I noticed people believe what I say if I'm lying but not if I'm telling them the truth.
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eldin raigmore · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 5:08 pm Post subject:

Tolkien_Freak · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 9:33 pm Post subject: