I understand you feel strongly about this and are speaking from a place of intense emotion. That is valid.
But I want to clarify some points.
Firstly, I made no suggestion that men in this community are "keeping women down." I simply said there are blindspots in our collective discourse owing to our demographics and hoped to recommend some books that could help in bridging gaps and engendering a more considered level of empathy.
> You can't get any idea of how deep the damage goes by reading or even talking about it.
No, of course someone without those experiences will never "really know." But learning about the experiences of others can certainly be helpful in growing an understanding of the extent of the issues at play.
> Also, I don't want you to know because I don't want anyone to be dragged down by it.
That's totally fine. You're experiences are yours and you can share or not share whatever you like. However the author of this book and the many women she interviewed for it do want to share their stories and this is also valid.
> I don't like this comment because it uses words like 'powerful' and 'breath taking' as if it's a positive experience to read about it.
You're adding something qualitative to my words that I never intended. These books had profound impacts on my outlook. I often had to stop reading because the contents were so painful, I had to stop to "catch my breath" so to speak. The impact the books had was a powerful one. That is not to say it was enjoyable or funny or light-hearted or anything like that. The threat of nuclear war is a "powerful deterrent" even though it is a profoundly horrible idea.
> This is what people say when they don't have a clue.
I don't want to get into playing top trumps of abuse but I can assure you that I absolutely speak from a place of experience and I have more "clue" about these issues than I would ever wish anyone to have. Again, I understand where you're coming from and that emotions run strong here, but I would ask you not to make assumptions about other people's trauma histories as it can be extremely hurtful and invalidating.
> To experience it is filth, destruction and a lifetime of mental illness. That's the reality of it.
This is what these books attempt to communicate through the thoughtful and raw disclosure of the experiences of many real women. They wanted their stories to be heard and I stand my the assertion that their circulation through groups such as the HN community has the potential to create a positive impact.
Again, I empathise with you and I hear what you're saying but I think some of your criticism is misplaced and that you could rethink your dismissal of my perspective as clueless. Thank you