Even in this day and age of progressive thinking, blatant sexism still exists. While it doesn’t apply to everyone across the board, such behavior may be common among the older generations, who are set in their ways and have outdated beliefs.
This story is a classic example of a boomer living in the past. It involves a man in his 80s who tried to bully a driver for being a woman, all after committing a traffic violation.
Shocked and disgusted by what happened, the author nonetheless decided to take the high road and let law enforcement handle the situation. However, she shared her experience with the Boomers Being Fools subreddit.
Sexism still exists in today’s progressive society
Image credits: hedgehog94 / Freepik (not the actual photo)
A woman experienced such bigotry from a man in his 80s during a traffic altercation
Image credits: nomadsoul1 / Freepik (not the actual photo)
After a brief internal debate, she decided to take the high road
Image credits: jeanclaudevangams
Sexism in current times is less blatant but equally antagonizing
There are likely fewer instances of men blatantly berating women because of their gender. However, sexism in current times comes in a different form. It may be less blatant, but it draws negative emotions, nonetheless.
Biases against women are an example. In a survey by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), nearly 90% of males and females have some sort of bias against women.
The UNDP also found that 40% of people believe that men make better business executives and more than half believe that males are better political leaders.
More statistics by the UNDP show how much of the population embodies a strictly traditional viewpoint where women take more care of housework. Those people account for over 50% of the world’s population.
If you think society is moving forward, the UNDP also found that perceptions of women’s roles in politics and decision-making had worsened in 2023. 27% of people believe women have no place in politics, while 18% believe they aren’t as capable of holding leadership positions.
For the most part, we live in a patriarchal society. Unfortunately, some hold beliefs that are so outdated they clash with current values, just like the old man in the story.
Being the bigger person will always be commendable
As the author did in the story, there’s no losing in being the bigger person in a heated situation. According to licensed psychologist Dr. Jordan Fiorillo Scotti, you are acting on your morals or ethical principles, which shows that they are intact.
It may be challenging for many people to take the high road instinctively. As Dr. Scotti points out, we tend to be attached to what other people think about us because we want to be respected, accepted, liked, and trusted.
However, in situations like the one the author faced, it is no use trying to argue with someone in their 80s who may never understand that such behaviors are no longer acceptable in today’s society.
In this case, it was better to let it slide and be the bigger person. The woman handled the situation well. Ultimately, the boomer got the swift justice that was very much warranted.
Commenters believe she should’ve taken a more drastic approach
