Such a White Kettle!

[ornoth]

There’s an idea that pervades society that men act like wimps when they get sick. Naturally, this has been advanced and perpetuated by the female lobby, but I think many men generally accept it, as well.

Usually, ideas that are so universal have at

Comments

[awfief]

Everyone has different pain tolerances; not just for severity of pain but for pain types as well (burny, stingy, sharp, throbbing, etc).

As for whether or not biologically men experience pain differently, I think the same women that say "but men are wimps!" would say the same thing even if they were 'born that way'.

I have found that in general men react more poorly than women do in dealing with *some types* of pain. For example, in general men are much more able to deal with hunger pain than women are, and many women who have tried to lose weight alongside a male companion often complain that it's easier for men to lose weight. Also in my experience, men and women (in general) react the same ways to short bursts of stabby pain (say, UTIs or migraines).

Of course, I've been known to mock loved ones for whatever their shortcomings may be. I try not to do it in mixed company, though. :)

[cvirtue]

It's a pity your sample size was someone being irrational.

For sickness, unless there is an established pattern of malingering, one should take the sufferer's word for the experience, no matter the gender. Or age.