Aging

[Just Shelly]

It's funny because people always used to take me seriously as a "guy" even when I was younger.  I was the sort that somehow got some of my elders to respect me. Now that I'm in the process of transitioning I feel like that's diminishing with time.  Not to say I don't get any respect, but more that I feel like I'm treated more like a kid in some ways.

Yes you are at a good age...maybe a little less fortunate now that your female, you still may not get the full respect you deserve but then again your young and have more or less an excuse....you don't know it all yet!!

This was the opposite for me! No one ever took me serious, I always felt like a kid amongst men....even if they were younger than I. I think much of this had to do with my disposition and my passive nature. It never bothered me too much since I never had a typical ego like most men.

The irony about this is that I am still perceived like this but its because of my gender...it is frustrating even mores so because of the reason but at least I am not looked down on if I don't know something...its just expected that I am now dumb!! Ya BS!!

At first I did get very frustrated with men not listening or taking me serious.....I have since become more numb to it!!

[Stella Stanhope]

About the only negative thing of being a women is aging. Women show there age more than men.

Hmmmmm. Really??...

Last time I looked at my girl friends of my age they still had thick hair, soft skin and young faces. Whilst my guy friends (and increasingly myself) have thinning hair, that tired look, coarser skin, etc.

Its in mother nature's best interests to make women look as attractive as possible for as long as possible (for the mating game), whereas with men, it's more important to have the muscles so everything else seems to take a back seat.

A common occurrence with MTF's it tends to be noted, is that the person tends to look younger when taking the HRT, from how they looked as male.

Mind you, I used to think that women aged quicker and with more harmful effects than men, but now I come to think the opposite since researching.

It's funny because people always used to take me seriously as a "guy" even when I was younger.

Lol. I've never been taken seriously as a guy. Especially by my guy friends. I've never really had that classic male privilege.

Societal wise, men are in a behavioral strait jacket and women are in a body strait jacket.

Very true words, indeed. I feel that is more worthwhile to be female from a physical and social perspective (in this day and age), yet more worthwhile to be a man (just about, though probably not for much longer) financially and because we still live in a patriarchal society.

"To men a man is but a mind. Who cares what face he carries or what he wears? But a woman's body is the woman." Ambrose Bierce

Very sobering quote, that. Ultimately though, its not just society that sees it this way. Nature does too. Hence why nature tends to maximise the prettiness/softness/openess of women's face, while toning much of prettiness.softness/openess for males.

Male faces are meant to indicate "I'm in charge. Fear me. I will hunt and kill. Follow me"
Women faces are meant to indicate "I am caring. Feel safe with me. Desire me."

Thankfully though, we're sentient human beings, so we don't have to fully subscribe to the tyranny of genes and mother nature's plan.