From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!torn!cs.utexas.edu!wupost!gumby!destroyer!uunet!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!minsky Wed Sep 16 21:22:24 EDT 1992
Article 6832 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: minsky@media.mit.edu (Marvin Minsky)
Subject: Re: Biological Sex Differences? ("Women only" excusable ?)
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References: <1992Sep6.154026.14965@techbook.com> <wentzell.78.715973345@ace.acadiau.ca> <MELBY.92Sep9005959@dove.yk.Fujitsu.CO.JP>
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 03:41:38 GMT
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In article <MELBY.92Sep9005959@dove.yk.Fujitsu.CO.JP> melby@dove.yk.Fujitsu.CO.JP (John B. Melby) writes:
>>I recently read an article which pointed out the bias in the college
>>entrance tests (GMAT?? Sorry, I'm not American) towards males. For example,
>>there were many analogies which dealt in sports terms.
>
>Perhaps a wider array of colorful terms (specifically, synonyms of
>"to bludgeon") are used in sports than in most other American cultural
>establishments? :-)

That reminds me of once noticing that the English lexicon of verbs is
asymmetrical with respect to winning contests of bloody force.  You
can say in only three words that "Boston clobbered Philadelphia" or
"Martina defeated Chris".  But you cannot say "Chris (lost to)
Martina" in three words with Chris occupying the subject-case-slot.
This seems to show that there is a sinister psychological bias
concealed in the very lexicon (not grammar) of the language!  Winning
a contest is an "action" (that is, has an actual verb) on the part of
the subject of the sentence, whereas losing a contest cannot be
expressed as an action.  As though to win is to one's credit, whereas
when you lose, it is the act of someone else and not your own.

More generally, I have found only a very few verbs that reflect any
appreciable discredit upon the subject-agent.  It is almost impossible
to admit to a fault without using the passive, or other form of
periphrase to be evasive.  Could this be a subtle way of imparting a
society's values to its members?  Weird.



