Gabrielle Reece (volleyball star) Women being submissive is 'a sign of strength'

Moody dudes who say they are not easy to live with set off my radar. Ladies be careful with these types.

 

I think the responsibility for having and maintaining that functional way of handling disagreements is as much a man's responsibility as a woman's. I personally don't want a submissive woman. I also don't want a domineering woman. I'm looking for a friend, ally and equal in life. But it's Ms. Reece's right to settle into whatever role works for her, as we must all find a way to strike that happy balance in life. Kudos to her.

 

I'm sure it's been awhile since I've told you this, but you are one smart brother!

 

She said in an interview that she even, in the passed, told people when they were coming over to 'take it easy, he is in one of his moods' if he was cranky. That is just.. Wow, people should know how to behave and not having visitors walking on eggshells, nor have their spouse make excuses for them. I personally think he looks sort of scary. I know he is labeled a hunky guy I just see an unpleasant person, always have.

 

I hear you. I want the same thing as far as the friend thing goes, but I don't think any two people are equal, we all deserve an equal amount of respect, but if she is better than me in one area then she will be in charge of that aspect of the business/relationship and vise versa. Thats how I roll.

 

Thanks, xoxo!

Thanks!

I totally agree in terms of people's native intelligence and skills, but I don't think that should apply to the power distribution and/or democracy within a relationship.

 

Different strokes for diff folks, It has been a pleasure my brother!

 

People are trained to think of submission or submissive as being a negative thing, and by the dictionary definition, it is. But when a person is submissive by choice - choosing to yield power to another, rather than being forced into submission or dominated by another - that is a sign of strength, not weakness. Being submissive doesn't necessarily mean being a doormat or allowing someone to abuse you. It can simply mean yielding yourself to another for a specific purpose. Jmo.

 

I don't necessarily think being submissive is a negative thing, but I also don't think it's a sign if strength. Being submissive is a choice. It makes her no stronger than someone who chooses to be in an equal partnership. I think what I learned from my marriage is that it didn't matter if he had the final decision or if I did...WE needed to collaboratively make the final decision on matters affecting our family. To me, that's the idea of a marriage...partnership and equality.

I certainly don't look down on submissive women in relationships. I have a few friends who choose to take that role in their marriages. I will echo sort of what Ore said in that the women I know often end up feeling dissatisfied and undervalued because at the end of the day they don't feel they have a voice. Can they speak up with their thought/ideas/suggestions? Of course, but the final decision is that of their husbands. For me and me only...I could never live like that.

 

I did and it worked. And I am not one to suffer in silence, nor did I feel undervalued. There's much more to my story, but I already explained it in a post when I first joined the forum, so no need to go into it again. To me, it was absolutely a collaborative effort between my husband and I. If we had differing opinions and a decision had to be made, we couldn't do it both ways. One had to yield to the other. I chose to do so out of respect for him as the head of our household and 99% of the time his way was right. The 1% of the time when I was right, he came back to me and told me we should have done it my way. (And, I found out later, that he bragged about this to his friends, whose wives did whatever the heck they wanted, without regard for their husband's opinions....his friends were a tad jealous.)

I absolutely believe that God honored my decision to be obedient to Him, and he worked out every situation in the best way. I, the true skeptic, sat back many times and marveled at how that happened.

Choosing to be submissive is a sign of strength, imo, because we as humans are basically selfish. We want our own way. We want to be right. We don't naturally lay aside our wants/desires/egos for the sake of someone else. We choose to do so out of love and/or respect. And it's not only women who submit - men submit to their wives when they lay aside their ego or their need to be right. I have learned to look at submission in a whole new light. It no longer simply means to be meek or passive or to be an automaton.

 

That's very cool that it worked out so well for you. My pessimism regarding submission may be based in that fact that I've not seen it be successful or productive in a marriage. I do wonder if having a strong faith in religion plays a role at all? You brought it up, and the few friends of mine who take the submissive role in their marriages are also religious. I wonder if that unshakeable faith in a higher power has any impact on someone being able to take a submissive role? IMO both are about being able to trust unconditionslly. Ahhhh...maybe my issue with submission is rooted in my trust issues!! Just thinking out loud here.

Again, I certainly don't look down on those who take that role, it's just not my style.

 

Awesome post Ches! If you have kids, they are lucky to have such a resource of wisdom!!

 

Thank you, Beasty! Honestly, if I have any wisdom at all, it comes from my belief in God and the study of his word, and life experiences that confirm both.

PS I hope my son thinks he's lucky! Haha! "Yes Mo-therrrr!"

 

It is absolutely necessary that a man yields his ego to his wife, its much easier to do with a submissive woman imo. By yielding his ego he is allowed to grow as a person for the overall benefit of his family.

 

And that, imo, does not make him a weak man or a simp. When both partners realize the value of submitting to each other, that's fertile ground for love and intimacy to grow.

 

:smt023

 

Being Submissive is a sign of strength...Yes

:smt023I like that!! My Kind of woman....Indeed it is not a signature of being weak.

 

I believe that both should submit to each other equally. That's democracy to me, not submission. Just like we all submit to authority or the law. I just don't like it when it's driven by one partner based on gender. A collaborative effort works best for me. But everyone's different.

Great opinions, everyone! I enjoyed the exchange of ideas! Thanks for letting me sit in on this little panel discussion. Maybe if they had the folks of wwbm.com on C-SPAN, the discourse today would be a lot more civil!

 

I agree. Gotta be a dominant and submissive partner in each relationship. Submissive does not mean weak nor being a slave to their partner.