--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Stories told around the water-cooler as…" description: "\"Stories told around the water-cooler as well as statistics confirm that a man's competence is more likely to be presupposed, a woman's questioned.\" — K..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35f/kathleen-hall-jamieson-33137_competence_stories-told-around-the-water-cooler-as_2614140.jpg" --- # Stories told around the water-cooler as well as statistics… ![“Stories told around the water-cooler as well as statistics confirm that a man's competence is more likely to be presupposed, a woman's questioned.” quote by Kathleen Hall Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35f/kathleen-hall-jamieson-33137_competence_stories-told-around-the-water-cooler-as_2614140.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35f/kathleen-hall-jamieson-33137_competence_stories-told-around-the-water-cooler-as_2614140.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35f/kathleen-hall-jamieson-33137_competence_stories-told-around-the-water-cooler-as_2614140.jpg) > “Stories told around the water-cooler as well as statistics confirm that a man's competence is more likely to be presupposed, a woman's questioned.” [Kathleen Hall Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hall-jamieson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Statistical evidence shows that men’s competence is often assumed, while women’s competence is questioned, revealing gender bias. **In simple terms:** Men are assumed competent; women are doubted. Key Takeaway Challenge gender bias in evaluation. Themes gender bias workplace equality stereotypes statistics Mood critical concerned Type analytical educational When to use this quote - hiring decisions - performance reviews - team meetings - public speaking Key Concepts social perception organizational behavior media influence Questions to Reflect On - How can organizations audit for hidden bias? - What steps can individuals take to counteract assumptions? A Different Perspective Bias can be subtle and reinforced by cultural norms, making it hard to detect. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Competence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competence/) [Competence Likely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competence-likely-2053171/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Man Competence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-competence-2053172/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Presupposed Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presupposed-woman-2053169/) [Sexism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexism/) [Statistics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statistics/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Told Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/told-water-401845/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Woman Questioned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman-questioned-2053170/) ## Related quotes > [“Kate, I need to use the toilet,” he called through the door. “You’ve just had hours in the sea. Couldn’t you have gone then?”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-elsborg/kate-i-need-to-use-the-toilet-he-called-through-the-door-you-ve-just/) [Barbara Elsborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-elsborg/) > [Fish Told To Water- You Cant See My Tears, Because I Am In You. Water Then Replied: But I Feel Your Tears, Because You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/fish-told-to-water-you-cant-see-my-tears-because-i-am-in-you-water/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“When he came back, I hid my face within my hands. He said: "Fear nothing. Who has seen our kiss? --Who saw us? The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-lou-s/when-he-came-back-i-hid-my-face-within-my-hands-he-said-fear-nothing/) [Pierre Louÿs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-lou-s/) > [Let us be thankful for health and competence, and, above all, for a quiet conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izaak-walton/let-us-be-thankful-for-health-and-competence-and-above-all-for-a/) [Izaak Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izaak-walton/) > [“You understand how much you know about a subject the moment you give explanations to someone who doesn't know anything about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigina-sgarro/you-understand-how-much-you-know-about-a-subject-the-moment-you-give/) [Luigina Sgarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigina-sgarro/) > [Over the first two weeks of the Donald Trump administration, Steve Bannon has emerged as one of the most powerful figures in the White…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-goodman/over-the-first-two-weeks-of-the-donald-trump-administration-steve/) [Amy Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-goodman/) > [ A nominee \[to Supreme Court\] must possess the competence, character and temperament to serve on the bench. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-kohl/a-nominee-to-supreme-court-must-possess-the-competence-character-and/) [Herb Kohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-kohl/) > [Having spent years ruining the housing markets with their interference, leading to a housing meltdown that has taken the whole economy down with it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/having-spent-years-ruining-the-housing-markets-with-their/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Friendships are nice. So is competence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/friendships-are-nice-so-is-competence/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [Everybody's got a different circle of competence. The important thing is not how big the circle is. The important thing is staying inside the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/everybody-s-got-a-different-circle-of-competence-the-important-thing/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Bruce Katz is a spectacular talent! He's a brilliant composer and arranger who uses uncommon and unique musical intelligence to redefine jazz and blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-coryell/bruce-katz-is-a-spectacular-talent-he-s-a-brilliant-composer-and/) [Larry Coryell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-coryell/) > [You can't fake competence, creativity, or sexual arousal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/you-can-t-fake-competence-creativity-or-sexual-arousal/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [Can you understand why the Congress, most states and most cities refuse to pass legislation requiring the registration and licensing of any and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/can-you-understand-why-the-congress-most-states-and-most-cities/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [“it is easier to do a job right than to explain why you didnt”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-van-buren/it-is-easier-to-do-a-job-right-than-to-explain-why-you-didnt/) [Martin Van Buren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-van-buren/) > [A bad artist almost always tries to conceal his incompetence by whooping up a new formula.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/a-bad-artist-almost-always-tries-to-conceal-his-incompetence-by/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) ## More by Kathleen Hall Jamieson > [in politics as in life, what is known is not necessarily what is believed, what is shown is not necessarily what is seen, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hall-jamieson/in-politics-as-in-life-what-is-known-is-not-necessarily-what-is/) [Kathleen Hall Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hall-jamieson/) > [Other problems confront women in power. One is fine but two's a crowd seems to be an unspoken rule when the one wears a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hall-jamieson/other-problems-confront-women-in-power-one-is-fine-but-two-s-a-crowd/) [Kathleen Hall Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hall-jamieson/) > [Television has accustomed us to brief, intimate, telegraphic, visual, narrative messages. Candidates are learning to act, speak, and think in television's terms. In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hall-jamieson/television-has-accustomed-us-to-brief-intimate-telegraphic-visual/) [Kathleen Hall Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hall-jamieson/) > [I think it's healthy to say that the American people now have direct access and that we have sufficient confidence as people in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hall-jamieson/i-think-it-s-healthy-to-say-that-the-american-people-now-have-direct/) [Kathleen Hall Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hall-jamieson/) > [Presidents today spend more time speaking than they do reading or thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hall-jamieson/presidents-today-spend-more-time-speaking-than-they-do-reading-or/) [Kathleen Hall Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hall-jamieson/) > [Network news accustoms audiences to assertion not argument. Over time, it reinforces the notion that politics is about visceral identification and apposition, not complex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hall-jamieson/network-news-accustoms-audiences-to-assertion-not-argument-over-time/) [Kathleen Hall Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hall-jamieson/) > [The assumption that seeing is believing makes us susceptible to visual deception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hall-jamieson/the-assumption-that-seeing-is-believing-makes-us-susceptible-to/) [Kathleen Hall Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hall-jamieson/) > [Spin' is a polite word for deception. Spinners mislead by means that range from subtle omissions to outright lies. Spin paints a false picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hall-jamieson/spin-is-a-polite-word-for-deception-spinners-mislead-by-means-that/) [Kathleen Hall Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hall-jamieson/) > [Sisterhood is a powerful metaphor; it ought not become a synonym for groupthink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hall-jamieson/sisterhood-is-a-powerful-metaphor-it-ought-not-become-a-synonym-for/) [Kathleen Hall Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hall-jamieson/) > [The assumption that seeing is believing makes us susceptible to visual deceptions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hall-jamieson/the-assumption-that-seeing-is-believing-makes-us-susceptible-to-2/) [Kathleen Hall Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hall-jamieson/) > [Increasingly, campaigns have become narcotics that blur our awareness of problems long enough to elect the lawmakers who must deal with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hall-jamieson/increasingly-campaigns-have-become-narcotics-that-blur-our-awareness/) [Kathleen Hall Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hall-jamieson/) > [women are quoted as sources and appear on interview shows much less frequently than men. ... But the by-product of such anonymity may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hall-jamieson/women-are-quoted-as-sources-and-appear-on-interview-shows-much-less/) [Kathleen Hall Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hall-jamieson/) > [Women are penalized both for deviating from the masculine norm and for appearing to be masculine. When women try to establish their competence, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hall-jamieson/women-are-penalized-both-for-deviating-from-the-masculine-norm-and/) [Kathleen Hall Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hall-jamieson/) > [The weakness in a model in which one assumes that the electorate gets what it needs from Bill Clinton is that our system doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hall-jamieson/the-weakness-in-a-model-in-which-one-assumes-that-the-electorate-gets/) [Kathleen Hall Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hall-jamieson/) [Explore all 15 Kathleen Hall Jamieson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hall-jamieson/) ## More Competence quotes > [A bad artist almost always tries to conceal his incompetence by whooping up a new formula.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/a-bad-artist-almost-always-tries-to-conceal-his-incompetence-by/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“You understand how much you know about a subject the moment you give explanations to someone who doesn't know anything about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigina-sgarro/you-understand-how-much-you-know-about-a-subject-the-moment-you-give/) [Luigina Sgarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigina-sgarro/) > [Bruce Katz is a spectacular talent! He's a brilliant composer and arranger who uses uncommon and unique musical intelligence to redefine jazz and blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-coryell/bruce-katz-is-a-spectacular-talent-he-s-a-brilliant-composer-and/) [Larry Coryell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-coryell/) > [Let us be thankful for health and competence, and, above all, for a quiet conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izaak-walton/let-us-be-thankful-for-health-and-competence-and-above-all-for-a/) [Izaak Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izaak-walton/) > [“it is easier to do a job right than to explain why you didnt”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-van-buren/it-is-easier-to-do-a-job-right-than-to-explain-why-you-didnt/) [Martin Van Buren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-van-buren/) > [Can you understand why the Congress, most states and most cities refuse to pass legislation requiring the registration and licensing of any and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/can-you-understand-why-the-congress-most-states-and-most-cities/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [You can't fake competence, creativity, or sexual arousal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/you-can-t-fake-competence-creativity-or-sexual-arousal/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [Everybody's got a different circle of competence. The important thing is not how big the circle is. The important thing is staying inside the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/everybody-s-got-a-different-circle-of-competence-the-important-thing/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Friendships are nice. So is competence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/friendships-are-nice-so-is-competence/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [Having spent years ruining the housing markets with their interference, leading to a housing meltdown that has taken the whole economy down with it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/having-spent-years-ruining-the-housing-markets-with-their/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [ A nominee \[to Supreme Court\] must possess the competence, character and temperament to serve on the bench. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-kohl/a-nominee-to-supreme-court-must-possess-the-competence-character-and/) [Herb Kohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-kohl/) > [Over the first two weeks of the Donald Trump administration, Steve Bannon has emerged as one of the most powerful figures in the White…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-goodman/over-the-first-two-weeks-of-the-donald-trump-administration-steve/) [Amy Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-goodman/) > [The individual attributes of warmth and competence are often perceived to be negatively correlated. That doesn't mean they actually are, but that's how people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/the-individual-attributes-of-warmth-and-competence-are-often/) [Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/) > [Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/do-not-stop-thinking-of-life-as-an-adventure-you-have-no-security/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Great writers zealously learn the craft of their profession so they can release the power and the depth of their imagination and experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-bishop/great-writers-zealously-learn-the-craft-of-their-profession-so-they/) [Leonard Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-bishop/) [Browse all 452 Competence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Stories told around the water-cooler as well as statistics confirm that a man's competence is more likely to be presupposed, a woman's questioned.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kathleen Hall Jamieson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hall-jamieson/stories-told-around-the-water-cooler-as-well-as-statistics-confirm/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Competence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hall-jamieson/stories-told-around-the-water-cooler-as-well-as-statistics-confirm/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35f/kathleen-hall-jamieson-33137_competence_stories-told-around-the-water-cooler-as_2614140.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35f/kathleen-hall-jamieson-33137_competence_stories-told-around-the-water-cooler-as_2614140.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35f/kathleen-hall-jamieson-33137_competence_stories-told-around-the-water-cooler-as_2614140.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Stories told around the water-cooler as well as statistics confirm that a man's competence is more likely to…” — Kathleen Hall Jamieson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Kathleen Hall Jamieson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hall-jamieson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Stories told around the water-cooler as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hall-jamieson/stories-told-around-the-water-cooler-as-well-as-statistics-confirm/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hall-jamieson/stories-told-around-the-water-cooler-as-well-as-statistics-confirm/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```