It never fails, really.

Whenever I write to you guys with an assertive opinion--especially on how masculinity and femininity work--I get an e-mail from at least one woman somewhere who is absolutely appalled at me and what I'm apparently about.

Maybe I'll post some of their feedback on the blog when I have some spare time, because it's downright shocking.

But seriously, I would think it's fairly apparent from the cross-section of causes I champion, truths I teach about and especially the type of woman I have in my life that I generally have the best interests of both genders--men AND women--at heart.

So there's really little doubt, generally speaking, that I'm a guy who thinks very highly of women and who respects them.

Nevertheless, certain women will feel compelled to write me the most scathing, insulting messages you can imagine at times.

Basically, I'm tantamount to Satan as they see it, and an example in their minds of how "all men are no good". They go looking for "trouble" and make sure they find it.

I mean, good grief. People who get offended easily SUCK.

There I said it.

Now, predictably enough, watch me get "hate mail" from people who are offended by that one too, upset because I think they suck.

But consider how true it is for a second. And it doesn't matter doesn't matter what gender you are.

Hell, some people even get offended by having to pick a gender these days.

If you feel like you've got to "walk on eggshells" around certain people all the time lest they twist the next thing you say into somehow being an affront against their very personhood, it isn't going to be long before you stop hanging out with them.

And if you're unfortunate enough to find yourself actually dating a woman like that, the floodgates to "gender wars" flaring up at any convenient opportunity seem to get thrown wide open.

Obviously, the more easily the woman in your life is offended, the more drama and other relational trouble you're going to have with her.

But here's the truly crazy part.

Some of us as guys actually allow ourselves to get sucked in to that brand of negativity, all the while feeling like we need to apologize or even make up for having offended her, even when we can't really figure out exactly what we did wrong.

That has more to do with our own male guilt than anything else, causing us to continue believing that women are "goddesses" who are infallible.

But meanwhile, the truth is you really do have the power to change how you deal with a woman who gets offended by anything and everything she can conveniently shake her fist at.

Now let me be perfectly clear here.

If she, or you, or anyone else feels personally insulted by relatively minor things--even things that are more general in nature than aimed squarely at you--it's not like y'all don't have the right to feel that way.

It's just that anyone like that SUCKS to be around.

So as long as one exercises one's right to be offended, others can (and should) exercise their respective right to find friends who are more easy-going.

I just heard someone say, "But I AM easy-going. How DARE you assume I'm not! You know nothing about me!"

Yeah...sure. Have it your way. Just do so without me along for the ride. Sheesh.

You know, though, even if you only get offended when someone levels a very real insult toward you, your race, your gender, etc. you may indeed have a much more VALID reason to be offended.

That's absolutely true.

But you STILL suck.

No thanks to today's "politically correct" post-modern world, more people are more offended by sillier stuff (and more of it) than ever before.

After all, that's the defining point of "political correctness": It's not the speaker's intent that matters anymore. It's how the listener perceives what is said or done.

Thin-skinned, insecure people are kowtowed to in that context, and therefore empowered in their weakness. This is a well-known psychological pattern, and it's now taken over our culture.

And unfortunately, I'm sorry to say, it therefore follows logically that more people SUCK than ever before.

Simply put, the more easy-going you are--no matter what--the more fun you're going to be to hang around.

AND...as a man, the LESS you tolerate women who are easily offended--let alone carry the blame for them--the more you're going to enjoy your dating life.

So definitely take it easy yourself. Laugh a little. Don't be quite so concerned about someone "stereotyping" you, "disrespecting" you or whatever.

Save that energy for when the chips are really down, which is almost never.

That is to say, be careful to defend against being offended.

What's more, find a woman who matches up with you in that regard.

Both are decidedly better for your long-term health. Deserve what you want.

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below!