Actually, I am frequently annoyed by others' lack of logical processing ability.
In any event, though I am sure the thought is not original to me, I am annoyed by people assuming that because I am a housewife, I have a) wasted my life; b) doomed myself to lack-of-job-forever; c) taken on a desire to do this for the rest of my life.
I'm sure this is some kind of induction error. I'd like to point out to these people (but I don't because it's a small town, and both gossip and hasty anger are extremely ill-advised, so I point it out to you) that I, personally, have been doing this for less time than I was in college, not to say a great deal less time than I spent getting educated in general, and that neither I nor they know what I will do with the rest of my life, but it is also my own damn business.
I would also like to point out that this week, someone at a party was wondering why their ice cubes slowly get smaller in the freezer, and I told them why. And I'm really quite good at edible-plant-related trivia! And everyone says that my children are very well-behaved.*
*They aren't really- they're normal kids- but they do know that in public, tantrum = immediate departure, and I try to provide incentives for them to do what I want so they can get what they want. In brief, operant conditioning.
I'm sure this is some kind of induction error.
ReplyDeleteBut if you tried to tell them this, they would probably think you're talking about stoves.
Hahahahasob.
DeleteHAHAHAHA SOB, too. You know people aren't logical, right? I'm sure you encountered Kahneman & Tversky somewhere in your smartypants education...
ReplyDeleteBut yeah. Stereotypes may be a necessary cognitive evil, but it does seem like you've signed up for bumping up against some tedious ones for THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. You just need a quick line that says it all, like, I dunno, "I chose to stay home with the kids and I'm so glad I did, but I look forward to putting my PhD to use again at some point".
What gets me the worst is it's frequently female scientists - you know, people who've generally been aware of negative stereotyping and have had to work around it - saying things of this nature. (And the occasional asshole economist, but whatever.) Clearly they have established their identity in opposition to 'housewife' and I am getting slotted into their own horror of not working.
DeleteWhen I'm feeling mean I smile and say "How kind of you to point that out."