Gender differences and projection

1. Most people don't seem to realise how much they are projecting various qualities onto others. It's easy enough to do when people don't feel they need to deal with any repercussions for treating others in a very casual way and according to their own needs and feelings. The specific danger, I think, is that one goes along with others' programmes in order not to make waves. I have discovered from past experience that even a small amount of perceptual distortion, as a result of being who the other person expects you to be (rather than who you are) can have very great consequences.

2. Gender differences are overblown. So much of it is projective identification. If I treat you like a big man, it is quite likely you will use my energy to become one. By contrast, if you treat me like a sulky crybaby, because you think that is what estrogen "influences" me to be, it will be near impossible for me to convince you that I am otherwise.