Combining dating and feminism can be quite tricky especially if you are dating a passionate feminist. You might come across disagreements if you don’t understand the point of your partner’s beliefs.
Many people don’t understand the core meaning of feminism. They see it as an anti-men movement and settle with that definition. With that being the most common mistake, feminism tends to get negative responses because of lack of education on the topic. Feminists are not trying to rise one gender ( female ) above the other ( male ).
In fact, feminism strongly opposes this concept as it is pro-equality of sexes. According to feminism, neither a man should be superior to a woman nor should a woman be superior to a man. People often mistake it for being against men because it praises women’s rights. The reason why the women’s rights are emphasized is because men are already considered superior to women. Feminism is not trying to put men down and get women to rule the world.
They are fighting for equality in sense of education, jobs and other aspects where women are considered less worthy than men. Men get paid more than women for the same exact jobs. In some situations, people would more often trust a man to do the job right and not the woman who has the same exact abilities and training. This insane inequality and sexism is what feminism is fighting against.
In the world of dating, feminism can really cause some headaches. It is important to know that there is not much difference in dating a woman and dating a specifically passionate feminist woman. Every woman stands for the same equality and deserves to be treated that way. Chivalrous behavior is expected from any gentleman towards women, no matter if they strongly believe in feminism or just keep it to themselves.
Being polite and respectful towards each other should be natural for both genders. But then comes the tricky part, when dating a passionate feminist you will hear about it every single day. No doubt they will insist on you to follow their expectations as a man who should be equal to them. As a typical chivalrous act, a man would without hesitation pay the bill at the restaurant but when dating a feminist get ready for a lesson on equality and how she doesn’t need you to pay for her. In one hand, that is a good point and it is fair for both genders.
Why should men always pay? Feminism insists on equality here as well, which proves it is not only pro women’s rights. Women who strongly support feminism are highly independent and might get offended if you treat them as if they were not. However, paying the bill can just be a nice gesture with no intention of putting women under the equality level. Good luck on explaining that to a feminist.
Chivalry as in polite and respectful behavior is highly encouraged in dating, but when it comes to dating a passionate feminist, you have to know your boundaries. Anything that would trigger the feminist side and possibly make them feel inferior is to be avoided at all cost. If you don’t understand the true meaning of this movement and how serious the whole concept is, dating a feminist would be a disaster that probably wouldn’t end well. Equality is the goal here but there are so many stereotypes that go against it. For example, it is typical for a man to approach a woman and make the first move. Shouldn’t then women start approaching men first as well – the answer is yes, they should. However, it is still always expected from men to make the first move and when they don’t they are considered “not manly enough”.
This is obviously ridiculous because where is equality in that? Women find it more natural for men to approach first so they don’t do it themselves which actually opposes the idea of feminism. If both genders are equal then equal shall they be. No exceptions like these. Maybe this stereotype will get overturned, who knows, but for now there are some holes in the feminists’ theory.
The question is, is it possible to find agreement in a relationship where one person insists on such beliefs? It definitely is possible, with some work to it, of course. The most important thing that needs to be understood is that feminism is not against the male gender in any way. It strictly opposes sexism and votes for gender equality. Once that sinks in, collaboration is definitely possible. Women who strongly believe in feminism and equal rights tend to be completely independent which is one of their positive traits. They are so true to their beliefs and passionate about their movement that such passion can affect dating positively as well. It can create a mutual respect in a relationship if understood correctly by both parties. Feminists are not only women; there are plenty of men who stand with this movement as well. In order to have a healthy relationship, both genders are to be respectful towards the concept of feminism. To much frenzy about this movement can definitely ruin the spark. However, as long as a feminist is treated the way any woman should be treated, there should be no problems. It is important to find balance so that both partners are satisfied with the outcome. Respecting a woman should not depend on if she is a feminist or not.
Every woman deserves the right treatment except some of them take this whole concept very seriously which can cause a fuss in a relationship. As much as equality is encouraged nowadays, the male and female genders will never be equal in all aspects. For example, physically men are stronger than women. But that also depends on how we look at it. You can compare an ordinary man with an ordinary woman and you will conclude that the man is obviously physically superior. But if you compare an ordinary man to Ronda Rousey you will find that in some cases women can be physically superior as well. That shows that a woman can achieve anything she wants as well as men can too.
Is feminism dangerous when it comes to dating? Maybe it is possible to find balance in relationship with an extreme feminist. Maybe it is too much work for some people. Do you think feminism leans on either side a bit more? It is supposed to be completely in the middle where neither of the genders are superior to one another. What do you think is the key to a healthy relationship that involves feminism?