As someone with a sociological background, who has spent years studying how our particular social system informs our culture, it doesn't make sense for me to not factor that in here. Most people are not really individuals in the way that they imagine they are because they haven't done the work to individuate - which means that they are run by cultural narratives from behind the scenes. Cognitive science confirms that this is taking place, with the vast majority of "thought" being in the unconscious mind and influenced by beliefs and narratives absorbed in early years from the culture.

Plus, as I noted in my story, I've had similar reactions from men at other times in my life that had nothing to do with debating or Medium or Yael. So, there's that as well.

Yael and I agree that our tone is pretty much exactly the same in our stories, and I'm not at all combative when I lay out a thesis, although it might be viewed that way if someone challenges me about it (even though it's really just a women being clear, direct, and standing firm, which reads as combative to someone who has been steeped in patriarchal norms), but that's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about intial reactions to saying the exact same thing in pretty much the exact same way - so no, I don't think it's that.

But thanks for your comment anyhow.