Summary : ' Gems Of Wisdom '

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1. Gems of Wisdom
a. 6 gems of wisdom/new knowledge since the Mid-Term that have made the biggest impression on me regarding Sexuality in America from Ellis down to the present time, ranked from most to least important with explanations.
i. The fairy tale stories we all grew up on reinforce the image of the perfect woman and a “happy ending”. (The Erotic Silence of the American Wife)
1. This is the gem that made the biggest impact on me. I grew up watching Disney movies. I still love to watch them, but I’m old enough to realize that not everyone gets a fairy tale ending and that it’s just not realistic to expect one. ii. Women have been told stories of husbands murdering their wives because of an infidelity for years. They learn that women with high sex drives and a need for sexual variety (something men take for granted) are punished. (The Erotic Silence of the American Wife)
1. This is #2 on my list because women with high sex drives are shamed by society—they get called “easy” by the guys they sleep with and “slutty” by the women who aren’t as high on the acceptance continuum as they are. I haven’t used the word “slut” since the beginning of this class, because I realized how wrong it was to punish and shame someone for accepting their sexuality regardless of societal norms. The double standard is infuriating. iii. Infidelity seems to be a big issue in today’s world. Dan Savage points out that 80% of marriages will be “touched by infidelity” and that an estimated 60% of men will cheat on their wives and 40% of wives will cheat on their husbands (Lust)
1. This is #3 in my list because these statistics are mind-blowing. In a so-called “Christian” society, of which 90% believes adultery is wrong, how can this be possible? Actio...

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...ssue. However, I could see why other women would think that it would be. Decreased compatibility between men and women means decreased chances of finding the traditional and completely romanticized “ideal love”—the “one day, my prince will come” kind that my generation of girls grew up believing in because of the portrayal of love in Disney princess movies. Decreased compatibility also means increased uncertainty. Without a prince to come and sweep a girl off of her feet, what will she do with her life? Will she be a useless old maid or will she be able to live a fulfilling life without a man by her side? I plan to do the latter by going to graduate school and getting my PhD in Comparative-Neurobiology Psychology and working in a research lab studying and trying to minimize the side effects of different medications, specifically psychiatric drugs and birth controls.

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