What I find disturbing about the James Damore memo about men’s and women’s comparative capabilities (aside from the memo itself) is that its publication seems to negate women’s daily achievements in the eyes of so many men who read it.
Even the mighty pen can’t change a reality that talented women create each day. It can’t undo the extra work that women have to do just to appear comparable to men in men’s estimations[1].
Anyone who agrees with Damore’s conclusions about women’s abilities based on biology, even just a little, clearly needs to look up once in a while, and pay attention to what women are actually accomplishing.
A memo doesn’t negate talented women or the work they do. Although, we can’t say the same for its proponents’ link to reality.
Postscript: Also read Jeremy Keith’s post titled “Intolerable“.
- It can’t even offer a compelling explanation for why men’s estimations have any real value. ↩
Paul mentioned this article on pauljacobson.me.