--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It might be marvelous to be a man - then…" description: "\"It might be marvelous to be a man - then I could stop worrying about what's fair to women and just cheerfully assume I was superior, and that they had ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adc/katharine-whitehorn-12429_assuming_it-might-be-marvelous-to-be-a-man-then-i_1769829.jpg" --- # It might be marvelous to be a man - then I could stop… ![“It might be marvelous to be a man - then I could stop worrying about what's fair to women and just cheerfully assume I was superior, and that they had all been born to iron my shirts. Better still, I could be an Irish man - then I would have all the privileges of being male without giving up the…” quote by Katharine Whitehorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adc/katharine-whitehorn-12429_assuming_it-might-be-marvelous-to-be-a-man-then-i_1769829.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adc/katharine-whitehorn-12429_assuming_it-might-be-marvelous-to-be-a-man-then-i_1769829.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adc/katharine-whitehorn-12429_assuming_it-might-be-marvelous-to-be-a-man-then-i_1769829.jpg) > “It might be marvelous to be a man - then I could stop worrying about what's fair to women and just cheerfully assume I was superior, and that they had all been born to iron my shirts. Better still, I could be an Irish man - then I would have all the privileges of being male without giving up the right to be wayward, temperamental and an appealing minority.” [Katharine Whitehorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-whitehorn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She imagines male privilege as a way to escape gender expectations, highlighting irony and critique of sexism. **In simple terms:** She envies male privilege to avoid gender bias. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about gender roles. Themes gender privilege irony Mood wry critical Type satirical feminist When to use this quote - workplace - media - personal identity - political discourse Key Concepts social critique feminism Questions to Reflect On - What does “iron my shirts” symbolize? - How does humor expose inequality? A Different Perspective The satire may oversimplify complex issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assuming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assuming/) [Be a man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-a-man/) [Better Irish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-irish-1769447/) [Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Fairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairs/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-up/) [Irish Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irish-man-1769448/) [Iron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iron/) [Male](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/male/) [Males](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/males/) [Man Privileges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-privileges-1769446/) [Marvelous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marvelous/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Minorities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minorities/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/) [Privileges Male](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privileges-male-1769445/) [Shirts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shirts/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Stop worrying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-worrying/) [Superiors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superiors/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) ## Related quotes > [The economy in Ireland has been rampaging ahead for the last 15 years. Barring an international, political or natural catastrophe, things can only get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/the-economy-in-ireland-has-been-rampaging-ahead-for-the-last-15-years/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [As a white man who has had privileges that others could not depend on or take for granted, I've clearly had advantages over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beto-o-rourke/as-a-white-man-who-has-had-privileges-that-others-could-not-depend-on/) [Beto O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beto-o-rourke/) > [Irish was a man of parts even if some of them didn't work too well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-carter/irish-was-a-man-of-parts-even-if-some-of-them-didn-t-work-too-well/) [Angela Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-carter/) > [I love the way an Irish man, they can hardly speak proper English, is doing William Shakespeare. So I find that extraordinary as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-friday/i-love-the-way-an-irish-man-they-can-hardly-speak-proper-english-is/) [Gavin Friday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-friday/) > [Please stop worrying about how much you can do! STOP judging yourself and others on physical abilities and prowess, stop believing MORE is better,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-kest/please-stop-worrying-about-how-much-you-can-do-stop-judging-yourself/) [Bryan Kest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-kest/) > [“Nothing. It is nothing. Stop worrying about me." "I can't stop worrying about you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasinda-wilder/nothing-it-is-nothing-stop-worrying-about-me-i-can-t-stop-worrying/) [Jasinda Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasinda-wilder/) > [Stop worrying about what others think. At the end of the day, you have to live with you. Trust yourself. No one has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-richardson/stop-worrying-about-what-others-think-at-the-end-of-the-day-you-have/) [Cheryl Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-richardson/) > [Every one is doing their own thing, fighting their own battles, surviving their lifes, but people just need to stop worrying. Youre making little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-salazar/every-one-is-doing-their-own-thing-fighting-their-own-battles/) [Rachel Salazar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-salazar/) > [It seems like thin people should not be running around dissing overweight people, and overweight people should not be running around dissing thinner people...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-cutrone/it-seems-like-thin-people-should-not-be-running-around-dissing/) [Kelly Cutrone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-cutrone/) > [You can never become a great man or woman until you have overcome anxiety, worry, and fear. It is impossible for an anxious person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/you-can-never-become-a-great-man-or-woman-until-you-have-overcome/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [“I’ve got to stop this. Stop worrying about the why. Stop forcing what was happening into the realm of impossible. Stop hiding behind excuses.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deatri-king-bey/i-ve-got-to-stop-this-stop-worrying-about-the-why-stop-forcing-what/) [Deatri King-Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deatri-king-bey/) > [For the past few years, I've been more selective than I have any right to be, but I think that's finally starting to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizzy-caplan/for-the-past-few-years-i-ve-been-more-selective-than-i-have-any-right/) [Lizzy Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizzy-caplan/) > [“Whom do I trust? Where is my faith? Those are the questions that all worriers must ask, yet all of us already know the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/new-growth-press/whom-do-i-trust-where-is-my-faith-those-are-the-questions-that-all/) [New Growth Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/new-growth-press/) > [New year is the time to start living and time to stop worrying, it is the time to start loving and time to stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/new-year-is-the-time-to-start-living-and-time-to-stop-worrying-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You never know what will be your future. So stop worrying about future. Enjoy every bit of your life forgetting about what happened in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/you-never-know-what-will-be-your-future-so-stop-worrying-about-future/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) ## More by Katharine Whitehorn > [It's a pity more men are not bastards by birth instead of vocation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-whitehorn/it-s-a-pity-more-men-are-not-bastards-by-birth-instead-of-vocation/) [Katharine Whitehorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-whitehorn/) > [Why do born-again people so often make you wish they'd never been born the first time?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-whitehorn/why-do-born-again-people-so-often-make-you-wish-they-d-never-been/) [Katharine Whitehorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-whitehorn/) > [Filing is concerned with the past; anything you actually need to see again has to do with the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-whitehorn/filing-is-concerned-with-the-past-anything-you-actually-need-to-see/) [Katharine Whitehorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-whitehorn/) > [Things a mother should know: how to comfort a son without exactly saying Daddy was wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-whitehorn/things-a-mother-should-know-how-to-comfort-a-son-without-exactly/) [Katharine Whitehorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-whitehorn/) > [The wind of change, whatever it is, blows most freely through an open mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-whitehorn/the-wind-of-change-whatever-it-is-blows-most-freely-through-an-open/) [Katharine Whitehorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-whitehorn/) > [In my next life I want to be a pessimist. Then other people could spend all their time cheering me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-whitehorn/in-my-next-life-i-want-to-be-a-pessimist-then-other-people-could/) [Katharine Whitehorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-whitehorn/) > [Hats divide generally into three classes: offensive hats, defensive hats, and shrapnel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-whitehorn/hats-divide-generally-into-three-classes-offensive-hats-defensive/) [Katharine Whitehorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-whitehorn/) > [No nice men are good at getting taxis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-whitehorn/no-nice-men-are-good-at-getting-taxis/) [Katharine Whitehorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-whitehorn/) > [I used to think the only use for sport was to give small boys something else to kick besides me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-whitehorn/i-used-to-think-the-only-use-for-sport-was-to-give-small-boys/) [Katharine Whitehorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-whitehorn/) > [One reason you are stricken when your parents die is that the audience you've been aiming at all your life - shocking it, pleasing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-whitehorn/one-reason-you-are-stricken-when-your-parents-die-is-that-the/) [Katharine Whitehorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-whitehorn/) > [People get a bad impression of it by continually trying to treat it as if it was a bank clerk, who ought to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-whitehorn/people-get-a-bad-impression-of-it-by-continually-trying-to-treat-it/) [Katharine Whitehorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-whitehorn/) > [The great rule is not to talk about money with people who have much more or much less than you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-whitehorn/the-great-rule-is-not-to-talk-about-money-with-people-who-have-much/) [Katharine Whitehorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-whitehorn/) > [Find out what you like doing best, and get someone to pay you for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-whitehorn/find-out-what-you-like-doing-best-and-get-someone-to-pay-you-for-it/) [Katharine Whitehorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-whitehorn/) > [I blame Rousseau, myself. "Man is born free", indeed. Man is not born free, he is born attached to his mother by a cord…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-whitehorn/i-blame-rousseau-myself-man-is-born-free-indeed-man-is-not-born-free/) [Katharine Whitehorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-whitehorn/) > [I yield to no one in my admiration for the office as a social center, but it's no place actually to get any work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-whitehorn/i-yield-to-no-one-in-my-admiration-for-the-office-as-a-social-center/) [Katharine Whitehorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-whitehorn/) [Explore all 55 Katharine Whitehorn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-whitehorn/) ## More Assuming quotes > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/) [James T. Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-conway/) > [Everyone assumes writers spend their time lounging around, writing and occasionally striking a pose whilst having a think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/everyone-assumes-writers-spend-their-time-lounging-around-writing-and/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/) [Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/) > [A state of mind is something that one assumes. It cannot be purchased, it must be created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/a-state-of-mind-is-something-that-one-assumes-it-cannot-be-purchased/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [One must believe that every living thing whatsoever must change insensibly in its organization and in its form... One must therefore never expect to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/one-must-believe-that-every-living-thing-whatsoever-must-change/) [Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/) > [I think the biggest problem working with me would be that I'm an only child, and so I have an internal dialogue that goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-the-biggest-problem-working-with-me-would-be-that-i-m-an-only/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [It is worth noticing that those who assume an imposing demeanor and seek to pass themselves off for something beyond what they are, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/it-is-worth-noticing-that-those-who-assume-an-imposing-demeanor-and/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) > [People just assume that if you're famous, you're in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/people-just-assume-that-if-you-re-famous-you-re-in-hollywood/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/) [Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/) > [Humans suffer from self-centred notions as to the nature of life. Humans assume that alien life forms should conform to standards that match our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-perry/humans-suffer-from-self-centred-notions-as-to-the-nature-of-life/) [Steve Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-perry/) > [We can use our art to become political, to become something you want to talk about. We make clothes, but we have the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-rousteing/we-can-use-our-art-to-become-political-to-become-something-you-want/) [Olivier Rousteing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-rousteing/) > [Everyone seems to assume that the unscrupulous parts of journalism will be the frivolous or jocular parts. This is against all ethical experience. Jokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/everyone-seems-to-assume-that-the-unscrupulous-parts-of-journalism/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) [Browse all 2,452 Assuming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assuming/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It might be marvelous to be a man - then I could stop worrying about what's fair to women and just cheerfully assume I was superior, and that they had all been born to iron my shirts. 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