Why Women Should Be Heard But Men May be Safer On Mars

Navigating the evolution of sexual harassment claims.

Photo by Elaine Casap on Unsplash

We are each a product of our own environment, and our early experiences play a big role in shaping who we become as adults.

• If you were bitten by a dog when you were little, you may be afraid of dogs today.
• If you were in a car accident as a new driver, you may be anxious behind the wheel of a car now.
• And if you were abandoned as a child, it might explain your current-day commitment issues.

I tell you this because it’s important in talking about bias: the inclination to be for or against someone or something.

Origin of a Bias

When I was in high school, a very good friend, a girl I’d grown up with and trusted implicitly, confided in me that she was having a romantic relationship with one of our teachers.

I was stunned. Horrified. Disgusted beyond belief.

I encouraged her to break it off, to tell someone at the school. She was a minor, and he was an adult, an authority figure, and a married man. Eventually, she told me she ended it, but continued to keep it a secret. I’d been tempted to tell someone myself, but it wasn’t my story to tell. She was a…