--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When men act up by being degrading…" description: "\"When men act up by being degrading, dismissive, condescending, shut off, or sullen, that can often dumbfound you as a woman and get you off balance. At..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/mark-goulston-4177_balance_when-men-act-up-by-being-degrading-dismi_961166.jpg" --- # When men act up by being degrading, dismissive… ![“When men act up by being degrading, dismissive, condescending, shut off, or sullen, that can often dumbfound you as a woman and get you off balance. At that point, you can feel and look like a deer in the headlights, which makes you even more vulnerable to such a man's next volley of vitriol.” quote by Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/mark-goulston-4177_balance_when-men-act-up-by-being-degrading-dismi_961166.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/mark-goulston-4177_balance_when-men-act-up-by-being-degrading-dismi_961166.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/mark-goulston-4177_balance_when-men-act-up-by-being-degrading-dismi_961166.jpg) > “When men act up by being degrading, dismissive, condescending, shut off, or sullen, that can often dumbfound you as a woman and get you off balance. At that point, you can feel and look like a deer in the headlights, which makes you even more vulnerable to such a man's next volley of vitriol.” [Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Women can feel stunned and vulnerable when men behave dismissively, leading to a loss of composure and heightened exposure to further aggression. **In simple terms:** Dismissive behavior can leave women feeling exposed. Key Takeaway Recognize and regain composure. Themes gender dynamics communication vulnerability Mood alert empathetic determined Type advice psychological social When to use this quote - workplace meetings - social gatherings - online interactions Key Concepts Power imbalance emotional regulation assertiveness Questions to Reflect On - How can you maintain balance when faced with condescension? - What strategies protect you from feeling powerless? A Different Perspective Some may argue personal resilience can mitigate impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman/) ## Related quotes > [“This is the kind of behavior that I was dreading: she doesn't see that what she's doing is for her, not me. She doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-hardy/this-is-the-kind-of-behavior-that-i-was-dreading-she-doesn-t-see-that/) [Nicole Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-hardy/) > [“I’ve made myself as vulnerable as a man can make himself to a woman. It’s the same as if I just handed you a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-banks/i-ve-made-myself-as-vulnerable-as-a-man-can-make-himself-to-a-woman/) [Maya Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-banks/) > [Sometimes indifference can be so erotic. I think the people who are most dismissive of you get the most of your attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boy-george/sometimes-indifference-can-be-so-erotic-i-think-the-people-who-are/) [Boy George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boy-george/) > [It's an Australian thing to be dismissive. We find that endearing. Americans don't. They believe what you say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/it-s-an-australian-thing-to-be-dismissive-we-find-that-endearing/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [The worst thing to call somebody is crazy. It's dismissive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-chappelle/the-worst-thing-to-call-somebody-is-crazy-it-s-dismissive/) [Dave Chappelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-chappelle/) > [I'd be the first to say that I'm a distant individual. I have a tendency to come across as being aloof and dismissive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-parish/i-d-be-the-first-to-say-that-i-m-a-distant-individual-i-have-a/) [Robert Parish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-parish/) > [“... failing to look inscrutable to any but the habitually dismissive ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/failing-to-look-inscrutable-to-any-but-the-habitually-dismissive/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [When we accept dismissive judgments of our community we stop having generous hope for it. We cease to be capable of serving its best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/when-we-accept-dismissive-judgments-of-our-community-we-stop-having/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [A lot of people have been very dismissive of me. I'm hardly the darling of the NME. It used to get me down a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-nutini/a-lot-of-people-have-been-very-dismissive-of-me-i-m-hardly-the/) [Paolo Nutini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-nutini/) > [“Reckless. Insatiable. Deceptive. Clingy. Vain. Dismissive. Trivial. Violent. Tactless. Controlling. Impractical. Fearful. Think of one example in your past where you exhibited each of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-katehakis/reckless-insatiable-deceptive-clingy-vain-dismissive-trivial-violent/) [Alexandra Katehakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-katehakis/) > [I come across as being arrogant and dismissive, even if that is not the case.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-parish/i-come-across-as-being-arrogant-and-dismissive-even-if-that-is-not/) [Robert Parish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-parish/) > [There are people who are very dismissive of games and gamers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/there-are-people-who-are-very-dismissive-of-games-and-gamers/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [You can't be dismissive of important things. You have to speak out, even if you don't get the results you would like to have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-halford/you-can-t-be-dismissive-of-important-things-you-have-to-speak-out/) [Rob Halford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-halford/) > [I hope that people who don't believe depression is a real thing will stop calling people crazy, because that's dismissive and not a medical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerby-jean-raymond/i-hope-that-people-who-don-t-believe-depression-is-a-real-thing-will/) [Kerby Jean-Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerby-jean-raymond/) > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) ## More by Mark Goulston > [The most influential people strive for genuine buy-in and commitment - they don't rely on compliance techniques that only secure short-term persuasion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/the-most-influential-people-strive-for-genuine-buy-in-and-commitment/) [Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/) > [When you know you haven't been connecting with, persuading, or getting through to someone, consciously pause before meeting them and say to yourself, 'During…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/when-you-know-you-haven-t-been-connecting-with-persuading-or-getting/) [Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/) > [Too often, founders make decisions before determining whether they are the right thing to do. These decisions often create chaos in their companies where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/too-often-founders-make-decisions-before-determining-whether-they-are/) [Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/) > [If fun puts a smile on your face, beauty and elegance put a smile in your heart and take your breath away. It's longer-lasting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/if-fun-puts-a-smile-on-your-face-beauty-and-elegance-put-a-smile-in/) [Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/) > [The crux is this: you can't be sincerely empathic towards and angry at someone at the same moment. 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That said, to succeed in their companies, they often have sacrificed being emotionally involved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/gen-x-entrepreneurs-are-frequently-smart-tough-tenacious-and-self/) [Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/) > [In my life, I think I have had more than two hundred significant breakthroughs that exponentially accelerated my life forward. However, each and every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/in-my-life-i-think-i-have-had-more-than-two-hundred-significant/) [Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/) > [Happy couples resist the temptation to go to bed at different times. They go to bed at the same time, even if one partner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/happy-couples-resist-the-temptation-to-go-to-bed-at-different-times/) [Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/) > [You can't create more jobs for an economy where the vast majority of people are hesitant and even afraid to spend and buy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/you-can-t-create-more-jobs-for-an-economy-where-the-vast-majority-of/) [Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/) > [President Reagan preached 'trickle down economics' but naively did not reckon on the fact that the wealthy would only care about getting more for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/president-reagan-preached-trickle-down-economics-but-naively-did-not/) [Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/) [Explore all 115 Mark Goulston quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/) ## More Balance quotes > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [The bones of my architecture are very much related to the structure, to the physical fact of how a building can stand up; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-bones-of-my-architecture-are-very-much-related-to-the-structure/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [she got a reputation for an easy smile and a sharp tongue, and using one to balance the other, she seemed friendly but distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/she-got-a-reputation-for-an-easy-smile-and-a-sharp-tongue-and-using/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [Life's unfairness is not irrevocable; we can help balance the scales for others, if not always for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/life-s-unfairness-is-not-irrevocable-we-can-help-balance-the-scales/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [“We don't need to strive towards balance, we rather need to work on the obstacles that are preventing the natural flow of balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-alebraheem/we-don-t-need-to-strive-towards-balance-we-rather-need-to-work-on-the/) [A.A. Alebraheem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-alebraheem/) > [I think that kind of balance comes with the process of growing together as a band, the Little Dragon. We love to write, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukimi-nagano/i-think-that-kind-of-balance-comes-with-the-process-of-growing/) [Yukimi Nagano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukimi-nagano/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [It's my intention to make something stand outside the realm of album art, but it also feels comfortable to me to be in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-my-intention-to-make-something-stand-outside-the-realm-of-album/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [Once you've gotten your money in balance, you know how much you have to spend on things that are just fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/once-you-ve-gotten-your-money-in-balance-you-know-how-much-you-have/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [I never understood how much running changes your life. I'm now obsessed. 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Five hundred miles an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/when-it-comes-down-to-music-i-have-no-balance-i-am-100-percent-it-is/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) [Browse all 5,166 Balance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When men act up by being degrading, dismissive, condescending, shut off, or sullen, that can often dumbfound you as a woman and get you off balance. 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