Double standards are an unfortunate part of society.
A double standard is when two or more individuals or sets of people are treated differently when they should be treated the same.
A good example is the difference in the way my brother and I are treated when we cook. I'm big on baking and have a natural talent for it. Whenever I bake anything, even something complicated, like cheesecake, I'm given minimal praise, if any at all. This is because I'm a woman, and in my family culture, women are expected to be able to bake.
My brother isn't as good a baker as me and rarely does it, but when he does, he is praised for subpar brownies because he's a man and it's amazing he can even cook as well as he does.
I'm not the only one who has experience with this.
Redditors have identified many double standards in society and are eager to share.
It all started when Redditor Extreme-Minute-4746 asked:
"What double standards make you angry?"
Civil Service
"As a federal government employee, why do I have to follow all kinds of ethics rules, but politicians and judges don’t?"
– mittychix
"F**k, right? I have to spend six weeks reviewing documentation and hearing out dozens of random companies to award a £100k contract but the minister who runs my department can give his mate's company a multi-million£ contract to run ferries without even getting quotes - DESPITE THAT COMPANY NOT HAVING AND FERRIES AND THE PORT IN QUESTION NOT HAVING CAPACITY FOR THEM."
"I left the civil service after that one."
– Disco_is_Death
"This. Yeah I could get in trouble for accepting a gift over $50 (like I have that much influence anyway) but politicians and judges get lobbied millions..it's infuriating."
– gtbeam3r
"Yes. And they get to keep their jobs for being completely dysfunctional, but if I pulled a fraction that garbage, I’d be fired."
– TrekJaneway
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
"That some people expect you to respect their no, whilst they will most definitely not respect yours."
– IvyBloodroot
"On that note, respecting someone as an authority is often equated to respecting someone as an individual."
"Eg. Teachers who say if you don't respect me (as a superior), I won't respect you (as a person), when they're really not the same thing."
– Paperonia
The Bullied
"School bullying."
"The kid getting picked on has essentially no power. Go to a teacher? Get labeled a snitch and tattle tale. Don't do anything? You're just made an easier target. The moment they fight back, they're the ones who end up dealing with detention, suspension, expulsion, etc. You have more power as a bully in the schools than the victim."
– FriskeCrisps
"It's because bullied people are usually rule followers, and the school wants the problem dealt with as quickly as possible. Best way to do that is to expect the rule follower to follow rules, rather than the rule breaker to suddenly change their ways."
"Fairness ends up on the chopping block."
– darsynia
Services Cliff
"I'm 41 years old and have Cerebral Palsy. If I try to find anything related to the disease - how to deal with it, any kind of ongoing care - it is virtually impossible because all the care is just for children with CP. It's like once you turn 18 the world just doesn't care anymore."
– Zechnophobe
"I’m autistic and in the same boat. “How to deal with a child who…” I'M ASKING FOR ME."
– aroaceautistic
A Two-Way Street
"People who are obsessed with the idea of kids being respectful towards adults, but don't treat kids with respect in turn."
"Edit for example: I went to a very old-fashioned school where the rule was that when an adult entered the room, even in the library and break/lunch, every student in the room had to immediately fall silent - mid sentence, mid word, didn't matter - and stand up until we were given permission to sit back down again. If we didn't, we were chewed out and sometimes even given detentions. The argument was that it trained us into respect, but I was also brought up to believe it's rude to interrupt, and it felt like the teachers were constantly interrupting us."
– MerylSquirrel
"My father in law is like that. He’s “kids should be seen and not heard” type of old school."
"But then he wonders why the children in the family all steer clear of him and why they disregard most things he says."
– Macintosh0211
Doctor, Doctor
"This might be a bit controversial, but I’ve come across a couple of doctors who demand special treatment away from work but preach and practice treating all their patients equally."
– kimchi-pancake
"They charge you a fee or cancel if you’re 5 minutes late but have no problem leaving you waiting for hours. I’ve waited an hour in the lobby and another in the actual examination room."
– SadComfort8692
"Same! i can understand if it’s out of their control but i could hear her, clear as day, giggling with her coworkers about her weekend. i waited 20 in the lobby and 20 in the exam room. i love a good gab but, for f**k’s sake, do it later! if i yapped outside for 20 minutes, it would be a $50 fee and another 4 month long wait to be seen again."
"I suddenly had a $50 i-can-hear-you-nattering-through-the-wall fee. she laughed but it’s been collecting interest ever since…"
– manyfeetball
Alcohol Is Alcohol
"Beer drinkers act like they aren’t alcoholics because they don’t drink hard liquor. Ok sir you just drank 25 beers and then looked at me sideways for drinking a g&t at the family reunion."
– Brainfog_shishkabob
"Same goes for the “sophisticated” wine drinkers..."
"Stop judging me for enjoying a drink on the terrace a few times a year, when you empty 1-2 bottles each evening..."
– 2Madam_Mimmm
"That’s definitely the way it is. I’ve got a snotty alcoholic family member, that THINKS she’s sophisticated, because she drinks high dollar wine, out of very expensive glasses."
"Yeah, pissing yourself and passing out, in front of the mailbox, are definitely the traits of a sophisticated person."
– sweathogbrooklyn
Mr. Mom
"Fathers taking care of their kids."
"I take my kids to doctor appointments, dentist appointments, take them to school, and pick them up. I do all that stuff."
"Every single f**king time, it's, “Dad’s babysitting today?” Or some stupid comment like that. No, I’m not babysitting. I’m being a f**king parent!"
"I hate the double standard that dads can’t do stuff like that with their kids."
"I can’t take my daughter to the park without being questioned or looked at funny either."
"People need to give dads more respect. A lot of us bust our a**es too. I work hard. I take care of my kids, I play with my kids. I clean the house. I do laundry. I don’t stop. I don’t rest, I don’t relax."
– moms-sphaghetti
"Give us changing tables in the men's room!"
– Da1UHideFrom
"Nothing bugs me more than when a place only has changing tables in the women's bathroom."
"It's 2023, I take my son to the aquarium by myself sometimes... Looking at you London SeaLife centre 🤨"
– AstonVanilla
Household Split
"The laundry is always a wierd one. My wife is a much better cook than me. And she hates me cooking when she's in the house. So to compensate I do all the laundry, including ironing before someone mentions it, and all the washing of dishes."
"But even at work, this doesn't seem to be understood as possible. I complained my washing machine had broken and the comment was 'Oh no, what's wife's name going to do?'"
"To which the answer was 'Wonder why I haven't done the washing this week.'"
"But it's infuriating."
– RelativeStranger
Justice Is Bought
"The American justice system. You can afford the best and many more lawyers when you have money."
– TooAfraidToAsk814
"Justice is blind, but the b*tch sure can smell money."
– burgher89
Worship
"I am supposed to respect people's religion, but people aren't supposed to respect my non-religion."
"Particularly when their religion instructs them to not respect my non-religion."
– GeebusNZ
"It kinda makes my head spin that there are people who I get along well with who, per their religion, think I deserve to be tortured in agony for all eternity."
– Daztur
Yup, me and my non-religious self have personal experience with that last one!
