There is an outrage among many people who feel that there is wage discrimination against women and that they are victims of a society that does not give them equal pay for an equal amount of work. As this may be true in many circumstances, there is some crucial information that needs to be added to this hot-topic conversation.
Men and women are different in ways other than physical, as almost everyone realises. In general, there are differences in men’s and women’s brains and how we use them. Science is showing us that just as our physical bodies are shaped by our genes, so are our minds and how they function.
Our life preferences are largely genetically predetermined which can also highly impact and affect the choices we make in our careers. These preferences are strongly linked to our basic temperaments.
Many studies have been done showing how temperament relates to income. There is definitive proof that some temperaments are more successful in making money than others just as other temperaments are more successful in other areas. Each temperament type has certain strengths and weaknesses. That is just how our human nature was created. It takes all kinds to make this world.
In my book Master the Mystery of Human Nature: Resolving the Conflict of Opposing Values, I show how the different basic temperament types are attracted to certain jobs or professions based upon their natural internal preferences. For example, the feeling types of temperaments are more likely to find satisfaction in positions that help people in some way.
These careers or jobs may not be totally money-oriented or linked to production. The thinking types are more likely to be interested in physical things and undertake tasks that have more of a direct correlation with making money.
The split between feelers and thinkers in the general population has been demonstrated to be 50/50. But the real number to pay attention to here is the fact that two-thirds of women are of the feeling types and two-thirds of men are of the thinking types. Just by these percentages alone, this ultimately means that men are more likely to be attracted to careers or positions that have the potential of earning more money.
People that are drawn to positions that require analytical skills and people who are highly goal-oriented are usually of the thinking types. They want work where they can use their type of intelligence based on logic, reason and deduction.
People who like to help people through their emotional intelligence are of the feeling types. They want work that reflects these types of values. One of the main reasons that men, as a collective whole, make more money than women is that their temperament’s values make them more interested in the careers that make the most money. There are more goal-oriented and driven men than women in this feeler-thinker duality.
For a lot of people money has become the only real measure of value in our society. It is a tangible measure that is interchangeable for all of us. Intangible values can be more valuable than money in so many measures but is not interchangeable as values are not the same for all of us.
Equal pay for equal work is not only a worthy goal but also a moral one. I think we can all agree upon that, but trying to box men and women into becoming the same for monetary purposes is a mistake; this goes against our natures. There seems to be an agenda that is trying to promote not only equality but sameness. I believe this is a big mistake.
There are things that money can’t buy that are priceless to us. Aspects of life such as love, relationships, caring, nurturing, happiness, giving, and many other non-material things provide meaning to our existence. How do you place a monetary value on those things?
Why should we diminish the importance of these things in order to prove total equality between men and women? Feelers are more inclined to seek these ideals rather than seek numbers in a bank account. Women are more likely to pursue these values than men in general. Why are we trying to change this and who benefits?
We were all created with internal motivators that help to make up our value systems and this system motivates us to do what we do. This is to ensure that we do what we are designed to do. Nature is full of competing values that shape the entirety of this world. Humanity is filled with types that have opposing values and we are all here for a reason.
Is it necessary that we place a monetary figure on everything in order to bring an unnatural balance to something that is perfect as it is? We need not go against nature that was given to us just to make more money. We can use our strengths to create a life where we pursue our values in our own way that will give us our ultimate satisfaction.
Wanting equality is one thing but wanting life to become unnatural based solely upon a contrived monetary system defeats our purpose of seeking a better world. Comparison is the source of our unhappiness in this discussion. We must only listen to our internal voices to know what is best for us and all of us need to pursue the values that make us the happiest.
Scott Trettenero’s book, Master the Mystery of Human Nature: Resolving the Conflict of Opposing Values helps readers learn about themselves.
