IsabellaLinton wrote:
As a matter of fact yes, I've faced a lot of scrutiny of that sort regarding my LTD / non-working status.
That scrutiny is from nosy neighbours, people who judge me by first sight or know that I used to work, my ex-husband who attacked me in court for years saying I was being lazy and expecting him to support me (I never asked for alimony), random people like hairdressers, the postman, tradespeople who come to the house, relatives in other countries, total strangers on the phone (customer service etc)., some of my doctors who don't have my full history, my dentist, and friends of the family. I even hear it from my insurance people who keep asking for updates and proof that I'm as disabled as I claim to be. When I first joined WP there was a small group of people who kept questioning how I could possibly be autistic, let alone L2, if I own a house and raised kids. They think I seem smart and accomplished so I must be lying, or exaggerating my struggles, etc.
I hear it all the time. It's actually nice to be able to say I'm on disability because of my stroke because people can accept that more than if I say I'm autistic. It was even better when I needed a walker to ambulate because then I looked the part.
Not only do people assume I'm working, but they inquire about what I do for a living as if it's a matter of fact. Women get this pressure just as much as men. I'm sure if I were younger and had young children I'd still hear the same BS. When I had babies it was NOT cool or OK to be a stay-home mother. I even knew women married to very wealthy men (doctors, lawyers) who felt pressured to go back to work even if they didn't need the money.
People default to thinking we're all bourgeois automatons but that doesn't mean we are. I think for the most part, a lot of the questions are just preprogrammed small talk and the people who ask don't really GAS anyway. Most people would rather talk about themselves, regardless of what they ask.
What you have said here seems to jive a lot more with my experiences with people regarding employment status.
I guess we differ on whether this kind of cultural attitude towards unemployment affects dating, particularly in terms of the stigma of unemployment for men whilst they are trying to date.