Have you heard of Myers-Briggs Del? Where they categorize people (along a continuum) as either Thinkers or Feelers?
Thinkers tend to be factual and logical. And they state their opinions definitively.
I underwent personality testing along with fellow trainees at one company I was with that was very similar or maybe the same thing. I don't recall.
The categories were based on how one came to a decision - when confronted with an issue in what order and with what strength did one
Think
Decide
Feel
about it?
They used a Star Trek example
Kirk = Decide
McCoy = Feel
Spock = Think
They also had a cute experience to relate. When they did their testing in offices across the country, they're always given a company contact. They could instantly tell what a person's personality strength was by how they were given instructions on how to get to the company.
One company contact sent detailed instructions on how to get to the office, with pages from Mapsco copied and the route and subway lines highlighted, phone numbers, etc.
One company contact personally called the testers and gave directions, "Oh, it's that big blue building next to the red brick building after you get off at the stop that has a bunch of flower stands..."
One company contact sent the address, phone number, time and said "Be there."
We were all tested and went around with badges signifying what was concluded about us. I - if you can believe it
- was TDF with emphasis on the T.
The testing was pretty spot on with everyone. I found that I got along best with people who were Big Ts or Big Ds but less so with people who were Big Fs. The feeling was mutual. I made close dear friends with Big D and Big T people, but with Big F people, we got on each other's nerves after a while and took 'vacations' from one another from time to time.
And Crayons is right that most women (regardless) aim for cooperation and mutual support — so they frequently couch their opinions delicately, amid all kinds of qualifiers.
"Well in my experience..."
"I don't know, but..."
"I'm sorry, but..."
I was brought up in the South, and I remember being downright startled and shocked when someone would have the nerve to offer a different opinion. (That tendency was spotty; I once corrected my pediatrician's grammar – LOL.) I remember my mom was talking with a guest she'd had over for lunch, and they said "I don't agree with that", and I was SHOCKED. It took me a long time to realize it was okay(!)
Well, for some people, it's apparently still not OK.
I think I read similar things in that book
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. I know for a fact that I always had to crouch my e-mails with personal touches and qualifiers to some co-workers (all women) otherwise they got very offended, like I was barking at them or treating them like a cog, when to me, all I was doing was saving myself time and keystrokes.
Anyway, by many female cultural standards, you are quite blunt, Del. Sorry to hear those things have happened to you, but to be blunt (hee) I'm not surprised.