beautifully stated. indeed, these are super horrific examples. micro-agressions, micro-conditioning as well shape us, keep us from fighting, speaking out, striving... I'm thinking of how easy it would be for my husband to kill someone under the right circumstances of self-defense or defense of loved ones. given how I was raised as a woman, even with considering myself relatively evolved beyond my upbringing, I don't know if I could do it. gosh, I could go on & on here about the ways that our early messages are everything. the men I dated were largely based on trying to choose ones who wouldn't harm me. during my 20s, I was afraid to not have a boyfriend, because being single makes a woman an open target even to this day...