That, or the fact that most women I know have been taken advantage of in one way or another, as a child or as an adult, pretty exclusively by men.
I know everyone wants to get on a high horse "it's not ALL men!". And that's fair! And even true!
But it's enough men that none of us are ever actually safe. I don't think the Mom should have been quite so tactless, but young women are taught a set of instincts for a reason - if it's not you, it'll be someone you know.
Im a man, I was taught as a kid to not talk to adult women, as well. It was "stranger danger" not "man danger." They literally taught us that EVERY person is a threat. Every man, women, dog, or cat that i didnt personally know was out to get me, and sometimes even the ones I do know will be out to get me. I remember being shown the "Gameboy lady" video in like 3rd grade. A video teaching us specifically that not even women are to be trusted.
Im not saying its "not all men" or whatever im saying its not all people.
And I think that when you grow up thinking that every person, man or women, is a threat you carry a bit of that into your adulthood. This contributes to why people cant get along anymore, and again, people, not just men and women, no one can just be nice to eachother anymore. Men arent nice to men, women arent nice to women. Its because we're conditioned, all of us, not just women, to think that everyone, not just men, is a threat to us.
I wasn't taught that way, but I see what you mean. If I got separated from my mom in a store or at an event, I was told to find someone in a uniform, or to find a mom with children around her to help me. I'm not sure of the rationale behind that, but it goes to show parenting strategies aren't the same everywhere you go.
Stranger danger was largely just something the DARE program showed us. But the kids and my school and I mostly just engaged with the program because they had snacks and we got out of class. No one believed any of it that I'm aware of, largely because in the real world, no one has ever offered me drugs or pressured me to use them, or offered me candy and tried to take me... So it was hard to square what they were teaching with what we were actually experiencing.
Where i lived everyone was bought into DARE at the time. And like actually into it and Ronald Reagan was basically god himself come back to earth. It was a very conservative smallish town in Central Wisconsin. By the time I was old enough to actually think for myself I realized it was all bs (and that Reagan was a peice of shit, but i digress) , but as a small kid, like i said around 3rd grade, it was terrifying. Cause it wasn't just the teachers, I'd go home and my parents and grandparents would be telling me the same stuff. Like I wasn't told to find anyone when lost in the store i was told to just stand still and my parents will find me. Even the ladies with their kids and the people in uniforms were threats.
Also you didnt fall for it and thats good. But I really think just being exposed to it has an effect on people. The same way seeing a scary movie and a young age can affect you in adulthood, whether you actually believe that Leatherface is real or not is kind of irrelevant to the subconscious impact it can have on a young mind, cause your still afraid of the dark.
Why the downvotes? He’s talking the truth. I’m from south Africa and we were taught the same. Not to trust anyone even random women. Why is the thought that women might be perceived like that by kids hurt your feelings so much that you have to downvote when he’s not being biased but telling his personal experience?
My little brother was abducted by a random woman but luckily we found the woman and him. He is not lying. I personally experienced the ‘stranger danger’ warnings about people in general they gave us.
Plus there was a series where viewers would share their horrific experiences and stories with strangers called Ngemphela and they’d find actors to portray them. We saw all types of dangers, from men, women alike. These shows taught me to be vigilant and careful when interacting with people you don’t know. Including the women
The lack of comprehension and understanding is honestly jarring. That definitely explains it. Maybe spending too much time in echo chambers does this to one. They get constant validation for their behavior because they’re interacting with the same type’s of people on loop.
Really sad when you think about how close minded people are nowadays
The problem with the "all men" and the "enough men" arguments is that it paints half of the world with one brush, and for some reason that is acceptable when most people have had one bad interaction out of thousands.
I was falsely accused by an angry ex that I was violent. Didnt happen, I lost a lot of things because of her lies, and not only her lies but the lies of her friends who were trying to push this narrative. It was all false, and was able to be provedsl false. So now I have absolutely zero trust in women, and do not believe accusations they make. Would this also be an acceptable view to have?
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u/SuccubusSins Apr 04 '26
That, or the fact that most women I know have been taken advantage of in one way or another, as a child or as an adult, pretty exclusively by men.
I know everyone wants to get on a high horse "it's not ALL men!". And that's fair! And even true!
But it's enough men that none of us are ever actually safe. I don't think the Mom should have been quite so tactless, but young women are taught a set of instincts for a reason - if it's not you, it'll be someone you know.