Balk on The Awl reports sardonically on this study, which suggests that physical differences in brain responses dictate how we gauge others’ emotions:
Science, which has been doing a terrific job of late at giving men excuses for being total dicks, comes up with another winner: Dudes who are under stress cannot tell when someone else is angry. And you know what stresses out a guy but good? When some woman is angry at him. I’m sure he would totally address the situation if he knew that she was mad, but he doesn’t! At all! Says Science!
I can imagine stand-up comics everywhere are struggling to find an angle on this.
Sure, we tend to offer practical advice when she’s looking for support—and vice versa. But if how we’re wired seriously limits our ability to empathize, well, that’s good to know. Instead of using that knowledge as an excuse, keeping it in mind could help partners attack problems a bit more efficiently, eh?