A few days ago, I came across a fantastic idea mentioned in a novel I am reading. It is Blood to Poison by Mary Watson. The author states that the word hysteria or hysterical is wielded as a weapon by men against women. This word is derived from the word Uterus.
The notion is that there is a commotion in women’s Uterus during their sacred days. Owing to this reason, their emotions are not in their adequate control. Therefore, One should not take their anger or annoyance seriously. The author points out that men discredit their women’s grievances by dint of this logic. Instead of considering them as worthy of their attention, they dismiss them. This idea compelled me to craft this write-up to present my take on various -isms, scilicet sexism, racism, and ageism.
Almost a month ago, there was this incident of a domestic issue among one of our distant relatives. The male partner believes that he works all day long and carries the burden, and when he is back home, he has to hear his wife whining about petty issues. She blows matters of daily household activities entirely out of proportion. Tired of hearing such ‘nonsense’, we get into a fight. This violence is a routine now. It happens at least once in a two-week period.
After learning about this issue, I came up with my theory f what might be the cause of her alleged whining. I contended that women have specific days in a month when they get carried away by their emotions engendered by their anatomical and physiological needs.
Through my theory, I was hoping to hit two birds with one stone, if I may be candid:
- I was trying to provide an explanation that might have helped the couple to handle their matters more wisely, as I believe it is easier to solve an issue if you know about its provenance.
- I was giving the female partner an edge to evade her husband’s wrath, as I know she can be biased at times.
But the above-mentioned literary piece confounded me stupendously. Furthermore, It carries logic and value.
The fact of the matter is, I did not do her any favour by associating her grievance or soi-disant ‘whining’ with her sacred days. On the contrary, I denied her the attention and care she required.
Later, after taking my time to contemplate and brood over the entire matter, I understood that it was not the first time she had made a mountain out of a molehill. She was a little oversensitive. This habit is bothering her husband because he is dissatisfied with his current state. When he was in Pakistan, he was all-in-all of the family. He had adequate financial resources and enjoyed influence in the family. However, after his settlement in England, his financial condition was abysmal owing to which he could not help his family in Pakistan. This frustration has always been lurking somewhere in his mind. Consequently, it started to take a toll on his patience.
The same is the case with ageism. There is this common thinking that when people grow old, they become less logical as their mental acuity fails them. The possible outcome is that they become sceptical, insecure, and paranoid. In language, there is a word that explains mental issues associated with old age: ‘senile’. This notion mostly goes in their favour. For instance, if they exhibit peevishness or are abusive, nobody is going to school them for their behaviour because they accord it to their lack of discernability caused by old age.
The fact is that this generalization regarding the geriatric mental state is a veneer through which their due grievances might be dismissed. Who knows, maybe there really is a problem in the treatment they receive from their family members. But ascribing that to their senescence is grotesque injustice.
Any fool can know. The point is to understand