TOP 10 SURPRISING WAYS WOMEN ARE STATISTICALLY SUPERIOR TO MEN

Top 10 Surprising Ways Women are Statistically Superior to Men
By Karl Smallwood, Toptenz, 27 January 2014.

When I was first asked to write an article on odd ways the fairer sex has an advantage over men, I hesitated because the subject of gender differences is often rather explosive online, and I’m not exactly the most serious person out there anyway.

I changed my mind though when I began to research the topic. Keep in mind as you’re reading this, that none of these things are meant as generalizations towards either gender. I understand that everyone is different and that not all of the things written here apply to everyone. That being said, the stats have made it clear that…

10. Women Almost Never Get Struck by Lightning

Though being struck by lightning is probably lower on most people’s list of fears and worries than cloning eventually leading to dinosaurs roaming the Earth like in Jurassic Park, it’s still something that happens with alarming regularity. To men anyway. According to all known statistics about getting to third base with Zeus, women are struck by lightning an average of six times less than men. Just so we’re all clear here, lightning only kills 79 people in the US every year, and maybe a dozen of them are women. That’s some good odds.

Lightning may not make much of a blip on the national death chart, but if someone told you you could increase your chances of not being electrocuted by 600%, we’re guessing you’d take them up on it. Sadly, there’s no sure-fire way to do that. The only real way to be safe from the Lightning Menace is to own a matching set of X chromosomes.

9. Women are Better at Noticing They’re Unhealthy During Middle-Age

Being unhealthy or overweight is an issue that affects both genders. However, according to statistics, it’s females who are better at noticing that they’re unhealthy and actually doing something about it when they reach middle-age.

In a UK study involving 10,000 participants born in the 1970′s, it was found that males, along with being more likely to be overweight, were also less likely to do anything about it. In fact, a good deal of the men were unable to notice that they were unhealthy at all, and thus could not realize that they needed to make an effort to improve their health.

Dr. Alice Sullivan noted that this result was probably due to a disparity between how acceptable it is seen to be for men and women to be overweight, adding that it is commonly more “socially acceptable for men to be overweight.” The sad side-effect of this acceptance is that it ultimately leaves men way more open for a heart attack, or other weight-related condition.

In fact, it’s noted that women kick all kinds of ass when it comes to health. For example…

8. Women are Way More Likely to Hit Age 100 Than Men

Living to age 100 is no longer the realm of fantasy, a feat managed by more and more people every single year. However, if you look at the numbers, there is a clear gender divide in favour of women. Statistics (in the US anyway) show that there are around five times more female centenarians than male ones. An old joke about the subject states that this is “so women can always get the last word,” a joke we’re sure has brought many men comfort while being lowered into the grave, survived by women who went on to enjoy another 20 years of their sweet, Breaking Bad-filled life.

Interestingly enough, males are statistically more likely to reach the age while living at home, while females are more likely to do so while living in a nursing home.

7. Women are Less Likely to Compromise Their Views at Work

In a 2013 joint study conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, it was discovered that women, on average, were far less likely to compromise their ethics or “sell out” to get ahead in the workplace. Such tactics include snitching on co-workers and sucking up to superiors, all in the name of winning bonuses and promotions. The research, though relatively new, has been presented as a potential explanation for why so few females are found at the very top of big companies. They’re simply not as willing to become something they're not for the sake of getting ahead.

In fact, the experiments, which involved posing ethical, workplace quandaries to both and men and women, found that on average, along with being morally outraged at unethical business practices, women were more likely to work for a company that favoured ethics over money.

6. Women are More Likely to Stray (and Flourish) Outside of Their Career Comfort Zone

For those of you reading who are currently on the career ladder, the stats say that you ladies are more likely to pursue options outside of your chosen career path. In other words, you’re more likely to take a risk by changing careers.

Interestingly, despite the fact women are 10% more likely than men to be in a different career than they envisioned at college, and 11% more likely to work in a totally different area after 10 years of work, they’re equally as likely to feel like they’ve accomplished their personal goals. In short, while women’s lives are like running a marathon, men much prefer the 40-yard dash.

The study, which was based on the professional Linkedin profiles of thousands of women and men makes for interesting reading, and we invite you to check out some of the other results about the differences found between the genders for yourself.

5. Women Blog More

Considering this very website is essentially a glorified blog with facts and jokes thrown in, our opinion on blogging is that it’s pretty radical. Luckily for us, research tends to be in agreement, finding that social blogging can have a positive affect on social and personal well-being. In addition, constant blogging increases a person’s overall knowledge of, and confidence with, the English language.

And according to the numbers, women have an edge in this field. Women are not only 8% more likely to own and update a personal blog, but they’re also more likely to engage with and use social media. That second part may have some of you scoffing, but we should point out that a secure understanding of social media is an increasingly important aspect of business, and that being able to properly vocalize one’s opinions or thoughts via writing is a skill that should never be underestimated.

As for the blogging aspect: blogging is not only linked to boosting both motivation and confidence, but blogging itself is seen as one of the most influential forms of marketing on the entire web, and women control a vast chunk of that. In fact, in one experiment conducted to test the effects that blogging had on a person’s well-being, it was found that women’s confidence, emotional state, and senses of accomplishment and community were improved by the simple act of daily blogging.

The lead researcher of the experiment, Carmen Stavrositu, was quick to point out that they’d expect a similar result for men, but since men are far less likely to continue blogging than women, they conducted the experiment solely with females.

4. Women are More Likely to Pursue - and Stick with - College

96% of today’s high school women plan to continue their studies at college, whilst the figure for young men in the same age group sits at around 90%. Though that doesn’t initially seem like that big of a difference, it’s important to note this is equal to thousands of young men not going to college.

In fact, women best men on almost all fronts when it comes to everything college-related (and that includes jello shots.) Along with being more likely to start college, they’re more likely to research their choice of school, consult college websites about courses, and enrol immediately after finishing high school. They’re even more likely to take an active role in college activities.

On top of this, female students are also more inclined to actually finish college, with the graduation rates for females being noticeably higher than those of their male counterparts. Damn, women kick all kinds of ass when it comes to higher education.

3. Women Can See More Colours than Men

There’s an old joke that a woman can look at three different tins of paint and see “brushed almond,” “smokey seashells,” and “expired milk,” whereas her confused husband can only see three tins of cream paint.

Well apparently, that joke is more factual than most realize, according to an article by none other than the BBC. By virtue of simply having lady parts, a woman is able to see more subtle shades of red than a man. Women are also very, very unlikely to be affected by colour blindness, due to their having two X chromosomes.

In fact, there is a stark difference in how men and women see the world. Whereas men’s eye are supposedly better at discerning details from a distance, women are more adept at seeing colour. According to an article published by National Geographic in 2012, women are able to see almost all colours more clearly and more brightly than a man can. Perhaps best of all, women are able to better see the colour green than men. This means that, to a women, the grass is always greener on their side of the fence.

2. Women are Better Able to Understand and Accept Climate Change

Since an article about gender differences wasn’t going to stir up enough trouble on its own, I figured I might as well bring climate change into the mix. In a study published in mid-2013 by a researcher at Michigan State University, it was discovered that, on average, women’s beliefs and opinions on climate are more likely than those of men to fit with current scientific opinion. The findings were gleaned from over eight years of Gallup polls on environmental change.

Weirdly, the research found men are more likely to claim that they have a better understanding of climate change than women, even though the findings suggest they don’t. To quote Aaron M. McCright’s musings on the findings: “Men still claim they have a better understanding of global warming than women, even though women’s beliefs align much more closely with the scientific consensus.” We’re certain this statement will in no way annoy anybody currently reading this.

1. Women Recycle More

Regardless of your opinion on climate change, it’s hard to argue against recycling. It not only saves energy and provides extra jobs, but it also helps out polar bears to boot, which is always nice. And yet, according to a study conducted in the UK, when it comes to single-person households, women wipe the floor with men when it comes to recycling last night’s pizza box. According to the results, though 69% (huh huh huh) of women recycled a part of their daily waste, only 58% of men could claim to do the same.

Interestingly enough, the study found that this percentage shot up to 79%  if the household contained both a man and a woman, which I think is a good way to end this piece. There may be small differences between men and women and how we all interact with the world, but we’re way more likely to make that world a better place if we work together. 10% more likely, in fact.

Top image via Spot On Lists.

[Source: Toptenz. Edited. Top image added.]