Would you say men are more insecure/self-conscious than women?

[BBQgoat]

My personal opinion is that generally more men are insecure/self-conscious (especially in this generation), however, maybe not to the extent women are. Any thoughts?

 

[leroyjenkens]

I think women know how much men like them, so they're more secure about themselves because they know we love them no matter what.

I'm not sure if women feel the same way, so I'm pretty self-conscious around girls I like.

 

[Evo]

I think women know how much men like them, so they're more secure about themselves because they know we love them no matter what.

I'm not sure if women feel the same way, so I'm pretty self-conscious around girls I like.

I think you'll find that women are just as insecure and self-conscious as men, if not more. Just think about how much time and trouble women go to picking out just the right outfit, hair, makeup, etc... How many trips to the restroom they make (you don't think they all have to pee that often).

 

[leroyjenkens]

I think you'll find that women are just as insecure and self-conscious as men, if not more. Just think about how much time and trouble women go to picking out just the right outfit, hair, makeup, etc... How many trips to the restroom they make (you don't think they all have to pee that often).

But between men and women, I think women are more secure with themselves, because they seem more comfortable assuming the men around them want them. And they're usually right.
Maybe it's all the preparation you're talking about that makes them so secure.

 

[Astronuc]

My personal opinion is that generally more men are insecure/self-conscious (especially in this generation), however, maybe not to the extent women are. Any thoughts?

It is wrong to generalize by gender. Insecurity/self-consciousness depends on the individual. It is not necessarily inherent, but it is a product of one's experience and environment, and in the early years, that is mostly beyond one's control.

 

[Drakkith]

But between men and women, I think women are more secure with themselves, because they seem more comfortable assuming the men around them want them. And they're usually right.
Maybe it's all the preparation you're talking about that makes them so secure.

The preparation is because they AREN'T secure. Not because they are.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

I find this question overly simplistic. Insecurity is not a linear slider, like most human attributes it's multifaceted. For instance:

Alice could be insecure about certain aspects of her looks, about how her laugh sounds compared to others and about how people view her at work given that she doesn't come across as professional as others.

Bob could be insecure about forming close relationships with people because he has had some traumatic experiences in the past.

How do we tell who is more insecure? Alice is insecure about more things and the things she is insecure about may come up more often than Bob's however Bob might feel it's having a greater effect on his life. Or he could not be that bothered. There is no real metric for insecurity other than how it effects your life (which is incredibly subjective) and in my experience there isn't much difference between sexes in the amount and effect of things people are insecure about however they may be perceived as different depending on cultural context.

Can I ask what the point of the question is? This topic brushes a number of academic fields and more clarification could lead to more relevant discussion.

 

[Kholdstare]

I think women know how much men like them, so they're more secure about themselves because they know we love them no matter what.

I'm not sure if women feel the same way, so I'm pretty self-conscious around girls I like.

Ever heard of MGTOW? Go ahead. Google it.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

I think women know how much men like them, so they're more secure about themselves because they know we love them no matter what.

As nice as I'm sure the spirit of this comment is don't you think it's a bit disparaging that you're reducing what women should base their self image on to the fact that some men might still love them?

 

[Evo]

The mentors have decided that this is a serious subject and should be treated as such. The thread has been moved to Social Sciences, so going forward all statements must be backed up by mainstream, acceptable sources.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Here's an article about a study of men's insecurity:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121219174331.htm

I couldn't find anything similar for women, anything that specifically focused on their insecurities about men.

 

[akdude1]

In my opinion men that exert their dominance over inferior members of their social circle are most likely quite insecure because they have a need to prove them selves to their friends and possible mates

 

[enosis_]

Here's an article about a study of men's insecurity:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121219174331.htm

I couldn't find anything similar for women, anything that specifically focused on their insecurities about men.

From the article "In other words, anxious men are likely to alternate between chivalry and hostility toward female partners, acting like a knight in shining armor when she fulfills his goals and ideals about women, but like an ogre when she doesn't," Hart explained this month to the Society of Personality and Social Psychology's web-based news site, Connections. "Avoidant men are likely to show only hostility without any princely protectiveness."

The nature of the anxiety is unclear. Couldn't it be situational where group dynamics are involved?