You've likely heard the common refrains: men are less capable than monkeys, they can't cook a simple soup, and they are obsessed with sex. While this may sound like an exaggeration, we might have to disappoint you. According to research from the United Nations, almost 90% of people hold at least one significant prejudice or stereotype against women, which in turn fuels misconceptions about men and reinforces discriminatory social structures. Let's examine how things really are and challenge the myths that lead us to underestimate men.

The Myth of Maturity

From childhood, many of us were told that boys mature later than girls. The stereotype suggests that by the time girls are cooking borscht and solving complex equations, boys are still learning to tie their shoelaces. But this is a myth. It has become so deeply entrenched that it can even be found in some pediatric textbooks, often without citation to any reliable research. If you delve deeper into the issue, you will find that the development of boys and girls is not a simple race to a single finish line. In one area, boys might develop faster, while in another, girls will, but the difference in timing is usually small—often no more than six months.

Why does this myth persist? Some researchers believe it is the influence of gender socialization, the process of encouraging qualities in children that society deems appropriate for their gender. This socialization is highly susceptible to stereotypes. If everyone around a young boy says, “He's a boy, he'll talk when he's ready,” his parents may pay less attention to his speech development, believing a slight delay is normal. This can lead to a form of learned helplessness. Why should a boy try to develop a skill if society has already decided he is naturally behind? This principle, unfortunately, applies to many of the myths about men.

Helplessness at Home?

The stereotype extends to domestic life. We're told men can't find food in the refrigerator and that operating a washing machine is a monumental quest. This directly contradicts another stereotype: that men are inherently better with technology. Statistics reveal the social nature of this issue. In some countries, women perform as much as 93% of household chores like laundry. In contrast, in Scandinavian nations, this figure drops to around 73%. This difference indicates that the division of labor is not related to the innate helplessness of men, but to prevailing social norms. The outdated belief that it is shameful for a man to do housework because his role is to earn money, not wash diapers, leads to a situation where men and women perceive household tasks differently, even if they can perform them equally well. Many men value cleanliness, enjoy keeping their homes tidy, and find pleasure in skills like sewing or cooking.

Fathers and Child-Rearing

Stereotypes continue to insist that men are not only helpless in domestic matters but also in raising children. You've probably seen viral videos where a father lets his child joyfully splash in a puddle, while a mother carefully guides her child around it. From the outside, the opinion seems clear: the child is safer with the mother. However, research disagrees with this simplistic conclusion. Studies show that parents are, on the whole, equally concerned about the well-being of their children. In fact, some research suggests that fathers can be more prone to overprotecting their children. Therefore, it is inaccurate to label all men as careless fathers.

The ability to raise children is a skill like any other; no one is born with it. It is developed through active involvement and experience. For instance, if a man looked after his younger siblings as a child, he is more likely to be comfortable and capable when raising his own children. In many societies, this caregiving role traditionally falls to the older sister, which is why women often appear more experienced in interacting with children from the outset. It is a matter of practice, not innate ability. Highlighting the reality of modern fatherhood, a significant percentage of men view parenting as a shared responsibility and a crucial part of their identity. Furthermore, the existence of millions of single fathers successfully raising their children single-handedly serves as powerful evidence against these biased stereotypes.

Emotional Intelligence: A Gendered Lens?

We are accustomed to the idea that men are cold and rational while women are overly emotional. However, research has proven that the fundamental emotional range of men and women is the same. Children, regardless of gender, experience a full spectrum of feelings. The noticeable difference in adults' emotional intelligence—the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions—is a product of nurture, not nature. From infancy, gender socialization is at play: boys are often given logical games, while girls are engaged in conversations about emotions. Consequently, women often develop higher levels of empathy.

Imagine you tell a group of colleagues about a frustrating argument you had with your neighbors. There is a high probability that your female colleagues will empathize with your feelings, as the empathy center in their brain, particularly an area called the insula, activates. In such a situation, a different area of the brain is often activated in men. He might immediately suggest filing a complaint or seeking compensation. It's not that he doesn't care; his brain is conditioned to jump to problem-solving. Women may find it strange that instead of offering sympathy, men immediately try to fix the problem, but it's important to understand this is also a result of social conditioning. Neither approach is inherently better than the other. The male-typical mindset is effective for staying calm under stress, while the female-typical tendency to nurture connections is crucial for providing emotional support. Ideally, a person should be able to utilize both tools, and studies show that in high-level management positions, the levels of empathy between men and women are virtually the same, proving these skills can be developed by anyone.

Beyond the Alpha Myth: Desire and Aesthetics

The "alpha male" myth, which posits that men only want one thing, has created unrealistic and harmful expectations. It has become difficult and embarrassing for men to admit to having a low libido or to talk about periods of celibacy, as it goes against the societal expectation of high sexual interest. The truth is, the need for sex in men and women is, on average, the same; it varies greatly from person to person. A key difference is that men's level of sexual desire tends to be more stable, while in women it often fluctuates with the menstrual cycle. The perception that men talk more about sex is largely due to societal norms that condemn women for speaking openly about their sexual needs while permitting or even encouraging men to do so. In reality, studies on life satisfaction show that men often value professional development and warm, supportive relationships more than sex. Emotional closeness is just as important to them in a relationship.

Finally, there's the surprising opinion that men lack an appreciation for beauty and art. This is easily disproven by centuries of male artists, designers, and architects whose understanding of beauty has captivated millions. Physiologically, the frontal lobes of the brain, which help us determine our aesthetic preferences, are activated in both sexes. Research shows subtle differences in these activations—often in the right hemisphere for men and in both for women—which may influence preferences. For example, some studies suggest men are more drawn to abstract art, while women may prefer more orderliness in beauty. These are minor variations, not a fundamental lack of aesthetic sense.

Conclusion

Many of the stereotypes we hold were formed under the influence of cultural, historical, and social factors. A closer look reveals that these prejudices have little to do with reality. To summarize the key takeaways:

• The idea that girls mature significantly earlier than boys is a myth. Real developmental differences are minor and not one-sided; the rest is shaped by stereotypes.
• Domestic skills and parenting abilities are not dependent on gender. They are learned skills that anyone can develop with experience and effort.
• Emotional intelligence, libido, and aesthetic taste are individual characteristics. They depend more on a person's unique physiology, upbringing, and social conditioning than on their gender.

Remember these points the next time you encounter tired clichés about men's roles or capabilities. Prejudices fall apart when examined with evidence.

References

• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (2023). 2023 Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI). This report reveals that almost 9 out of 10 men and women worldwide still hold fundamental biases against women. It analyzes biases in four key dimensions: political, educational, economic, and physical integrity, providing the data that highlights the pervasiveness of the stereotypes mentioned.
• OECD Data. (Updated regularly). Time spent in paid and unpaid work, by sex. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development provides extensive data on the division of labor within households across different countries, which substantiates the claims about regional differences in how much unpaid domestic work is done by women versus men (e.g., in Eastern Europe vs. Scandinavia).
• Feldman, R. (2007). Mother-infant and father-infant synchrony: The coregulation of positive emotion. Infant Mental Health Journal, 28(3), 247–266. This is an example of research into parenting behaviors which indicates that both mothers and fathers are sensitive and responsive to their infants' cues. Studies in this field challenge the stereotype of the "careless" father by showing deep paternal engagement.
• Schurz, M., Radua, J., Aichhorn, M., Richlan, F., & Perner, J. (2014). Fractionating theory of mind: a meta-analysis of functional brain imaging studies. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 42, 9–34. This meta-analysis, among other neuroimaging research, explores the different brain networks involved in empathy and "mentalizing" or "theory of mind." It supports the idea that while core emotional centers like the insula are key, different situations can trigger different networks, sometimes showing gender-patterned tendencies toward affective empathy versus cognitive problem-solving.