Gender differences and magic - ties to Bellatrix Lestrange & Lily Potter

[Mandy]

No: HPFGUIDX 99066

Ava Gordon wrote:
> On another forum, someone suggested that, all other things being 
> equal, male wizards have greater endurance than female & therefore 
> are likely to be better duelers.  I've had a few days to mull this 
> over, & am convinced this is wrong Wrong WRONG.  Here's why.
> 
<snipped two great arguments>


Mandy here:
Who, and where, on earth did some idiot actually believe the idea 
that men have better endurance than women?  It is absolutely not 
true.  In fact it opposite is true, women have far more endurance and 
stamina both physically and mentally than men do.  A fact that has 
been proven by science!   Men are obviously physically bigger and 
stronger, and win at bursts of quick strength and power.  Woman, on 
the other hand have more stamina and endurance and are winners when 
it comes to endurance over long periods of time.

How does physical strength and endurance effect magic?    Magical 
ability is not divided along gender lines.  The individual strength 
and endurance of any witch or wizard has nothing to do with their 
magical ability.  Or it does, only in the sense that a healthy body 
supports a healthy mind.  The healthier a witch or wizard is, the 
better they will be all around.   Magical strength is naturally 
imparted to the individual either through genes or just potluck.  
Example; Hermione, who comes from muggle parents is hugely magically 
gifted as opposed to Neville, a pureblood, who is magically 
backward.  It has nothing to do with size, strength or stamina.

The art of dueling, magical or not, does require very important 
skills, that not everyone is going to excel at.  The participants 
need to be: aggressive, very fast, quick thinking, instinctually 
intuitive about yourself and your opponent, and be a strong, quick 
strategic thinker.  You need to be able to read your opponent very 
quickly, and be able to judge what they are about to do, and react to 
it before they are able to execute their move.

The only element in dueling I would say that a woman has a 
disadvantage in, is the aggression.  Naturally, women don't have the 
same levels of aggression that men do, and often lose the fight 
before it is even fought.  But I would also say that men are equally 
lacking in the intuition that is also required to win a dual, so the 
field is leveled.    

If you know anything about dueling throughout history, you'll know 
that duals would only ever last for a `brief' period of time.  They 
were quick, ferocious and not always deadly, sometimes only going to 
first blood.  Look at today's Fencing and Epee Fighting as the closes 
thing we have to dueling.  It's so bloody fast you can't see what is 
happening most of the time.  So endurance, while certainly an 
advantage, is rarely a factor.  Talent, speed, and aggression are 
what you need to win.

Magic levels the playing field.  It is why throughout history men 
have always been terrified of witches.  They are suddenly without the 
ability to control women, and heaven forbid that would ever happen!

Which forum came up with the conclusion above?  I'd like to visit and 
knock some sense and intelligence in to those idiots.

Cheers Mandy, who is amazed that boys can sometimes be so insecure 
about themselves they can't even except a women winning in fantasy, 
let alone in real life.