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Lacking Ambition

 My friend S shared this randomly with us - Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition —Marilyn Monroe and it lead to some spirited discussion among the ladies. No surprise most agreed with Marilyn but their reasons varied a fair bit. Among women of my vintage there was some cohesion of opinion. We don't see men and women as being equal. Each has specific advantages over the other and where there the complementary forces come together without pointless power struggles, amazing things happen for both. Where the woman could have otherwise been at relative disadvantage to man much like her, such partnership could tilt the balance in her favor.

In each of those situations neither side was focused on equality or parity - just focused on adding to the mix what they uniquely suited to with the goal of making the unit stronger. We had all seen instances of exemplary team work in our lives. Single parents raising children of the opposite gender, couples in strong personal and professional relationships, mentors and mentees - across the spectrum of relationships between men and women. Equality is a low and anemic bar - the better goal is to focus on partnerships with men that bring out the best in the woman, amplifies her impact in the world.

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