We need to teach our daughters to distinguish between a man who flatters her, and a man who compliments her .... a man who spends money on her, and a man who invests in her .... a man who views her as property, and a man who views her properly ..... a man who lusts after her, and a man who loves her ..... a man who believes he is God's gift to women, and a man who remembers a woman was God's gift to man.
This anonymous quote is making the rounds on Facebook, and has been picked up in Tweets and blogs too. While I understand the message and quite agree that we need to teach young women to choose healthy relationships, I guess some of the wording just doesn't sit right with me. I thought perhaps I'd reply to the quote line by line, and offer my perspective to those who care to read it. (I am ignoring in this instance the possibility that a daughter may not be called to a monogamous, heterosexual relationship. I am also leaving the initial quote intact, despite the switch from a plural to a singular subject in the first line. There's plenty of time to be a grammar cop later.)
"We need to teach our daughters to distinguish between a man who flatters her, and a man who compliments her ...."
Yes, young women's heads are often turned by men who offer excessive praise. Then again, I suppose young men have the same problem with women who offer flirtatious praise. How sincere is any of it,
