--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I hate to get gender essentialist, but…" description: "\"I hate to get gender essentialist, but I'm starting to think that a lot of married men have some sort of heterosexually induced dentistry aversion.\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/mallory-ortberg-7200_aversion_i-hate-to-get-gender-essentialist-but-i_1383601.jpg" --- # I hate to get gender essentialist, but I'm starting to… ![“I hate to get gender essentialist, but I'm starting to think that a lot of married men have some sort of heterosexually induced dentistry aversion.” quote by Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/mallory-ortberg-7200_aversion_i-hate-to-get-gender-essentialist-but-i_1383601.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/mallory-ortberg-7200_aversion_i-hate-to-get-gender-essentialist-but-i_1383601.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/mallory-ortberg-7200_aversion_i-hate-to-get-gender-essentialist-but-i_1383601.jpg) > “I hate to get gender essentialist, but I'm starting to think that a lot of married men have some sort of heterosexually induced dentistry aversion.” [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker suggests many married men avoid dental care due to a heterosexual bias or discomfort. **In simple terms:** Married men may neglect dental health because of gendered attitudes. Key Takeaway Consider how gender stereotypes affect health habits. Themes health gender relationships stereotypes Mood reflective critical Type observational analytical When to use this quote - marriage counseling - dental appointments - public health campaigns Key Concepts psychology social norms oral health Questions to Reflect On - How do gender expectations shape personal care? - What can reduce dental avoidance? A Different Perspective May overlook other factors like fear of dentists. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aversion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aversion/) [Dentistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dentistry/) [Gender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gender/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Married man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/married-man/) [Married men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/married-men/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“I hate gender stereotypes like girls love princesses and boys like guns. . . my point is that tying particular behaviors and interests to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-kantor/i-hate-gender-stereotypes-like-girls-love-princesses-and-boys-like/) [Melissa Kantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-kantor/) > [Dentistry is more impressive in town-what the rural man calls cleaning the teeth is called "prophylaxis" in New York.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white/dentistry-is-more-impressive-in-town-what-the-rural-man-calls/) [E. B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white/) > [Put your money where your mouth is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There was never yet philosopher that could endure the toothache patiently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/there-was-never-yet-philosopher-that-could-endure-the-toothache/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Perhaps the best reason to consider the hard sciences is that, well, one study suggests science, engineering, medicine, and dentistry graduates live longer than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/perhaps-the-best-reason-to-consider-the-hard-sciences-is-that-well/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [The grinding of the intellect is for most people as painful as a dentists drill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-woolf/the-grinding-of-the-intellect-is-for-most-people-as-painful-as-a/) [Leonard Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-woolf/) > [Home schooling as an idea is on a par with home dentistry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cavett/home-schooling-as-an-idea-is-on-a-par-with-home-dentistry/) [Dick Cavett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cavett/) > [With modern American dentistry it is simply amazing to see what transformation can be wrought in a single day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/with-modern-american-dentistry-it-is-simply-amazing-to-see-what/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [My health plan doesn't cover dental, so I enrolled my teeth as 32 dependents, each needing a complete physical once a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/my-health-plan-doesn-t-cover-dental-so-i-enrolled-my-teeth-as-32/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Had a filling done yesterday with no freezing, natural materials, essentials oils, and homeopathic remedies. We absolutely must push for more holistic biological dentistry ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/had-a-filling-done-yesterday-with-no-freezing-natural-materials/) [Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/) > [The painting world is awash with people who cannot paint. This is a condition that would not be tolerated in other professions such as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/the-painting-world-is-awash-with-people-who-cannot-paint-this-is-a/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [“It seemed far more reasonable to belong to a species that had evolved natural tooth replacement than to belong to one that had developed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-tova-bailey/it-seemed-far-more-reasonable-to-belong-to-a-species-that-had-evolved/) [Elisabeth Tova Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-tova-bailey/) > [Every tooth in a man's head is more valuable than a diamond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/every-tooth-in-a-man-s-head-is-more-valuable-than-a-diamond/) [Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [“Dentistry is a precondition to love at first sight. When your eyes meet she beams with happiness, but when you smile back she shows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/dentistry-is-a-precondition-to-love-at-first-sight-when-your-eyes/) [Bauvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bauvard/) > [A man loses his illusions first, his teeth second, and his follies last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-rowland/a-man-loses-his-illusions-first-his-teeth-second-and-his-follies-last/) [Helen Rowland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-rowland/) ## More by Mallory Ortberg > [Not wanting to give everyone in your life one of your kidneys is not the same thing as hoping they die of kidney failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/not-wanting-to-give-everyone-in-your-life-one-of-your-kidneys-is-not/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [I agree that biphobia is real, but I think it's absolutely worth considering that someone who "despises" having sex with her husband - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/i-agree-that-biphobia-is-real-but-i-think-it-s-absolutely-worth/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [If you get a dog, take care of your dog! You can just not have a dog if you don't feel like taking care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/if-you-get-a-dog-take-care-of-your-dog-you-can-just-not-have-a-dog-if/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [It is so tempting to return rudeness with rudeness!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/it-is-so-tempting-to-return-rudeness-with-rudeness/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [I think that it's a great idea to have honest conversations about children before getting married. I also think it's impossible to promise someone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/i-think-that-it-s-a-great-idea-to-have-honest-conversations-about/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [Don't beat yourself up over what you dream about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/don-t-beat-yourself-up-over-what-you-dream-about/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [One of the glorious things about being a person in the world is that you don't have to worry about whether or not someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/one-of-the-glorious-things-about-being-a-person-in-the-world-is-that/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [You need to be able to express your resentment and sense of loss in a way that doesn't damage your partner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/you-need-to-be-able-to-express-your-resentment-and-sense-of-loss-in-a/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [Some people give gifts in order to bewilder, confuse, and manipulate their recipients.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/some-people-give-gifts-in-order-to-bewilder-confuse-and-manipulate/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [Unlike celibacy, which people choose, asexuality is an intrinsic part of who we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/unlike-celibacy-which-people-choose-asexuality-is-an-intrinsic-part/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [The mere idea of asking a family member if they intentionally stopped sending me an annual bonus makes me feel like breaking out in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/the-mere-idea-of-asking-a-family-member-if-they-intentionally-stopped/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [You have a right to be treated professionally at work, and it's your supervisor's job to make sure all their employees can perform their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/you-have-a-right-to-be-treated-professionally-at-work-and-it-s-your/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [We are all going to die, sometimes even in the middle of a lease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/we-are-all-going-to-die-sometimes-even-in-the-middle-of-a-lease/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [o one is right when it comes to destination weddings. It’s a big ask, requesting people take time off work and fly off to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/o-one-is-right-when-it-comes-to-destination-weddings-it-s-a-big-ask/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [I love the art history ones because it's so little work for me. There's so many paintings that when I look at them, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/i-love-the-art-history-ones-because-it-s-so-little-work-for-me-there/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) [Explore all 93 Mallory Ortberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) ## More Aversion quotes > [And indeed nothing but the most determined scepticism, along with a great degree of indolence, can justify this aversion to metaphysics. For if truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/and-indeed-nothing-but-the-most-determined-scepticism-along-with-a/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. The virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/society-everywhere-is-in-conspiracy-against-the-manhood-of-every-one/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The scorn men express for a male who does housework is exceeded only by their aversion to a woman who doesn't](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-kome/the-scorn-men-express-for-a-male-who-does-housework-is-exceeded-only/) Penny Kome > [One of the greatest inhibitions to the development of human potential is the aversion to effective practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-b-reeves/one-of-the-greatest-inhibitions-to-the-development-of-human-potential/) [Douglas B. Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-b-reeves/) > [Value investing is risk aversion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-klarman/value-investing-is-risk-aversion/) [Seth Klarman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-klarman/) > [In my schoolboy days I had no aversion to slavery. I was not aware there was anything wrong about it. No-one arraigned it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/in-my-schoolboy-days-i-had-no-aversion-to-slavery-i-was-not-aware/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [We must each learn to feel comfortable in our own uniqueness by rising above the fear of being wrong and the aversion to being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/we-must-each-learn-to-feel-comfortable-in-our-own-uniqueness-by/) [Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/) > [The unattractive thing about chauvinism is not so much the aversion to other nations as the love of one's own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/the-unattractive-thing-about-chauvinism-is-not-so-much-the-aversion/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Most people have an aversion to risk, my college economics professor told me. Which means they have to be rewarded to take on that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arrington/most-people-have-an-aversion-to-risk-my-college-economics-professor/) [Michael Arrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arrington/) > [Some people have a very strange idea that material success does not coincide harmoniously with self-realization, which is absurd. The aversion to material success,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/some-people-have-a-very-strange-idea-that-material-success-does-not/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Usually I just let my songs do the talking. As a matter of fact I have long had an aversion to celebrities endorsing politics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fogerty/usually-i-just-let-my-songs-do-the-talking-as-a-matter-of-fact-i-have/) [John Fogerty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fogerty/) > [Once we're willing to confront our emotional suffering, we begin making choices based on attraction instead of aversion, love instead of fear. Where we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/once-we-re-willing-to-confront-our-emotional-suffering-we-begin/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [It is a happy thing that time quells the longings of vengeance and hushes the promptings of rage and aversion. I had left this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/it-is-a-happy-thing-that-time-quells-the-longings-of-vengeance-and/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [“For a long time now a hint of aversion had lain on everything he did and experienced, a shadow of impotence and loneliness, an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-musil/for-a-long-time-now-a-hint-of-aversion-had-lain-on-everything-he-did/) [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) > [In Tantric Buddhism our feeling is that there is no problem with the sensual world unless you have a tremendous attraction or aversion to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/in-tantric-buddhism-our-feeling-is-that-there-is-no-problem-with-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) [Browse all 266 Aversion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aversion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I hate to get gender essentialist, but I'm starting to think that a lot of married men have some sort of heterosexually induced dentistry aversion.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mallory Ortberg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/i-hate-to-get-gender-essentialist-but-i-m-starting-to-think-that-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Aversion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/i-hate-to-get-gender-essentialist-but-i-m-starting-to-think-that-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/mallory-ortberg-7200_aversion_i-hate-to-get-gender-essentialist-but-i_1383601.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/mallory-ortberg-7200_aversion_i-hate-to-get-gender-essentialist-but-i_1383601.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/mallory-ortberg-7200_aversion_i-hate-to-get-gender-essentialist-but-i_1383601.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I hate to get gender essentialist, but I'm starting to think that a lot of married men have some sort of…” — Mallory Ortberg", "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": "Mallory Ortberg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I hate to get gender essentialist,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/i-hate-to-get-gender-essentialist-but-i-m-starting-to-think-that-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/i-hate-to-get-gender-essentialist-but-i-m-starting-to-think-that-a/#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 } } ] } ```