From: usenet@baradel.demon.co.uk   
      
   In message   
   , David   
   Friedman  writes   
   >In article ,   
   > Helen Hall  wrote:   
   >   
   >> The really successful people are the ones who are bright and who work   
   >> damned hard, but they're not all that common and another danger is that   
   >> they can totally burn out because they set themselves unrealistic goals.   
   >   
   >This discussion started with Summers' comments on why there were more   
   >men than women at the high end of some academic fields. The people at   
   >the high end of those fields typically are ones with both ability and   
   >drive, so a difference in the distribution of abilities--the basic   
   >argument is that the spread of the distribution is wider for men than   
   >for women, with more men at both the high and low ends--would explain   
   >that pattern.   
   >   
   You don't think the fact that women have only had anything remotely   
   approaching equality of educational opportunities for the past, say, 30   
   years isn't a factor? Even now the social and emotional pressure on   
   women to have children means that they're disadvantaged. Men, as we full   
   well know, have always been able to have career and children because the   
   amount of time and effort required to be considered a Good Father is   
   minuscule compared to that required to be a Good Mother. Women still   
   usually have to choose, though with new attitudes and better childcare   
   arrangements, women are starting to catch up.   
      
   You really don't have to look for genetic differences to explain the   
   observed discrepancy.   
      
   Helen   
   --   
   Helen, Gwynedd, Wales *** http://www.baradel.demon.co.uk   
      
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