"Behind every great man is a great woman." by kpo

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"Behind every great man is a great woman."

POSTED BY: KPO
UPDATED: Friday, June 28, 2013 04:50
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Friday, June 28, 2013 3:27 AM

Sometimes you own the libs. Sometimes, the libs own you.

Just a thought, is this quote sexist?

Interested in people's views. Or if not explicitly sexist, does it fit into that category of quotes that rankles a bit, with the way it is often used, and perhaps some seeming assumptions behind it (e.g. that a woman's place is behind a man)?

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Friday, June 28, 2013 3:35 AM

ANONYMOUSE

I know this isn't the intent of the thread, but whenever I hear that quote or anything similar, I'm irresistibly reminded of one Harcourt Fenton Mudd (Harry Mudd, season 2 of Star Trek, "I, Mudd"):

"You see, gentlemen, behind every great man, there is a woman, urging him on; and so it was with my Stella. She urged me into outer space. Ah - not that she meant to...but with her continual, eternal, confounded nagging...! (Ahem) I think of her constantly...and every time I do, I go further out into space."

- I'm sorry, it just had to be done. :)

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Friday, June 28, 2013 4:09 AM

AGENTROUKA

That quote was always too fuzzy and flattering for my taste.

I guess at any time in history, it's more true to say that behind every great person lies a great support network, be that parents who raised their kid well, a supportive partner, a mentor, or just a host of supportive opportunities, like education or an infrastructure in which they can excel. Not to mention status, wealth and connections.

Greatness = talent + opportunity?

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Friday, June 28, 2013 4:49 AM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

I never thought about it too much - it was too obviously untrue as a statement. If for some reason I did think about it, it struck me as one of those soft manacles meant to keep women comfortable in 'their place' - there there little lady, you may not be able to go to school, or work, or own property, or vote, but you can always achieve greatness through a man.

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Friday, June 28, 2013 4:50 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Well, it was originally coined to highlight the role of women, at a time when they were dismissed as being capable of their own "greatness", so I always hear it that way. Probably my age. It was a truism that needed speaking back then, but nowadays I think behind every great PERSON is probably at least one other great person, and women have achieved enough greatness on their own that I don't think about the "behind" part.

And "What Rouka said".

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