Behind every successful man …

… is what?

In a recent zoom meeting (with almost all women), I said “the back of his shirt,” which was met with universal scorn. I had violated orthodoxy.

When confronted with such a question, you’re supposed to reflexively say “a woman.” As if a man can’t be successful without a woman, supporting and helping him.

Which is ridiculous.

A supportive spouse is a wonderful thing, but it’s clearly not necessary.

Abraham Lincoln’s wife was not as asset, nor was John Wesley’s. And many successful men are bachelors.

What if we were to reverse the saying? “Behind every successful woman is a man”?

Oh, that would be heresy, because a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle. Right?

IOW, the original saying is plainly false, and it’s clearly sexist (because you can’t say it the other way). So why are we pressured to affirm it?

If you have any sense, you know why, and you refuse to bend the knee to this kind of pressure.

Marriage is a wonderful thing, and husbands and wives should support one another. A supportive spouse gives anyone — man or woman — a great advantage.

But you should always check these trite sayings against reality, and you should refuse to go along with lies to keep the peace with ideologues.

9 thoughts on “Behind every successful man …”

  1. Well, it’s an odd thing for anyone to get wrapped around the axle about. Yet, if there was going to be any blowback, I thought it would have come by using the “original” saying because of the mistaken connotation of a woman being considered second-class or subservient. I guess you never know what will offend these days.

  2. You forgot about homosexuals. They don’t have a woman behind them.

    But, yes, my ex was a hindrance not a help. One year I tracked when she was still in bed when I drove to take the kids to school. 40% of the time for the first semester. Then I said something, said she’d do better. Well, still in bed 20% of the time the second semester for 30% average for the year. What a nut. Based on what she heard on Focus on the Family or some other nut job ministry, said she should get paid $150k a year, or was worth $150k a year…in the 2000s. Worth so much because she was a chef, a domestic engineer, a chauffeur, childcare professional, blah, blah, blah. If she was a chef, Ronald McDonald was a master chef. She knew how to fix 3-4 dishes and one of them was really bad—but I smiled like I liked it. I cooked 3-4 nights a week, drove kids to school every day, blah, blah, blah, and held down a job and paid all the bills. She sat at home working on her crafts or sitting on her ass. Once in a while she would hold down a part time job and I’d ask how much she made and she would tell me it was none of my business. She maintained a separate account from me. Money I earned was “our” money, but money she earned was “her” money. What a joke. At one point I was in talks with Microsoft for a job. Microsoft was interested, ex said no way were we going to relocate to Redmond.

    1. QUOTE: Money I earned was “our” money, but money she earned was “her” money.

      That must be in the female handbook. I’ve heard the same thing from a number of women. The sad part is many “actually” believe that and would NEVER put up with that from a man. But, men are suppose to grin and bear it. Interestingly, most men do.

    2. She sounds like a bitch. I’d have to say that my ex was actually supportive, “on my side when I was losing.” Those experimental meals of hers, however, were for the birds … literally.

  3. The woman behind a great man is not necessarily his wife. It could be his mother or his sister, for instance.

    1. Don’t leave out a female cousin, friend, advisor, and possibly a niece or daughter.

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