The Pittsburgh Press (October 21, 1941)
CANDIDLY SPEAKING —
Women are offended by criticism
By Maxine Garrison
And what do you suppose flying instructors believe to be the chief obstacle to feminine progress in aviation?
When questioned, instructors said that once women learn they make capable pilots and could be valuable to the government during the present emergency. The difficulty is in getting them to the point of earning a license.
Why? Because they are excessively emotional, and invariably weep or pout when criticized.
They become no more tense during emergency than men, as a rule. They can be taught to “react favorably” to conditions in the air. They are especially inclined to “blow up.”
But their emotion betrays them to such an extent that 70% of the men questioned said they would not trust a woman flier in instrument weather, and would not fly an airline that employed woman pilots.
I think we can take it for granted that these men spoke from experience, not from prejudice. They have taught both men and women to fly, they have observed their reactions at first hand. They’re not just handing out the usual “you can’t trust a woman” line of disgruntled males.
More eager to learn
The same instructors believe that women are cautious, capable, conservative and really more eager to learn than men. They seem to have a more acute kinaesthetic muscle sense, which would give them an edge in “flying by feel.”
But they take criticism so personally that they break down and cry, instead of listening and learning from it, and they are slow to learn how to meet crisis in midair.
This particular criticism probably has a familiar ring to you. It is brought out more sharply than usual in the discussion of flying, but it is one complaint about women which is well-nigh universal and unanimous.
The gentler sex, it seems, has an extremely gentle feeling about personal faults. Women in general are apt to consider any word of criticism, however constructively intended, as personal insult.
Maybe it’s training, maybe it’s their nature. Whatever the cause, it wouldn’t do a bit of harm for all of us to resolve to keep firm rein on our vanity.
One man can tell another that he has made a mistake on a job, and be fairly sure of being understood. The victim may resent the tone of the criticism. He may think there are logical arguments on his side of the case. He might enjoy blowing off steam just to preserve his own pride.
Doesn’t cry about it
But the chances are that he does not take the matter personally. He certainly doesn’t sit down and cry about it.
He is able to see that the point is beyond personalities, that it is a matter of doing a good job. If he can learn to do it correctly (and to do so he must listen to the words of those more experienced than he), then he will make progress in the job. If he cannot profit by criticism, he may very well find himself out in the cold.
The upshot is that the masculine attitude toward criticism is more selfish than the feminine. Men keep their eyes on eventual success and are willing to endure temporary humiliation.
Women who cry when they are criticized look selfish. Actually they haven’t the faintest idea of what’s good for them, or they’d accept the criticism calmly and make their performance better the next time.