Fireflies and The Man Gene
With the recent rampant ravage caused by The Man Gene, male politicians, HR professionals, executives and supervisors are desperately looking for anything to combat The Man Gene that inhabits them. My previous posts on The Man Gene are designed to help, and there’s something new worth considering.
According to the New York Times, a study of fireflies offers insight. As it turns out, all that firefly flashing isn’t just about light. It’s about seduction, deception and sex. The male fireflies are the ones flashing, while the females watch intently to find Mr. Right. The females are picky. The males are unable to discern when a female firefly is interested in them. They can’t get their flashes right to suit most females. In the firefly world of sexuality, there seems to be as much confusion as in the human world.
There are two firefly factors that make it less likely for The Man Gene to cause human humiliation. First, there’s a firefly called the Photuris that eats male fireflies when they start flashing uncontrollably. So the male firefly not only has to worry about female rejection but death at the wings of the Photuris.
Second, the average lifespan of an adult firefly is two weeks. How much can happen in two weeks? A male firefly might mate with numerous females if he’s a good flasher and can avoid the Photuris. Even if successful, he’ll have soon died of natural causes.
Thus, we see that the answer to the male firefly’s Man Gene dilemma is death, either by the Photuris or old, albeit fast, age. Is it also the human answer?
In the workplace, HR should serve as the Photuris. I’m not suggesting that a male employee controlled by The Man Gene be killed, just discharged. In light of the recent news about Steve McNair, someone outside the workplace will take care of the killing.
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About Chris Parker
Chris Parker's practice focuses on the representation and counseling of companies in matters pertaining to the workplace and the protection of their intellectual property and trade secrets. In addition to serving as an advocate for clients, Mr. Parker is also trained as a mediator and frequently serves as a third-party neutral.
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About Jimmy Daniel
Jimmy Daniel provides counseling to businesses of all sizes related to the employment relationship. He assists in the drafting of employment agreements, policies, and handbooks, as well as provides guidance related to compliance with federal, state, and local legislation such as the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act.
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About Larry Bridgesmith
While serving in an Of Counsel relationship with the firm, Mr. Bridgesmith also serves as the Executive Director at the Institute for Conflict Resolution at Lipscomb University and as an officer and principal in Strategic Resolutions Group, LLC. In these roles, Mr. Bridgesmith brings over 30 years of legal experience in dispute resolution and innovative workplace strategies to clients, students and business entities alike.
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Ha! This post greatly amuses me.
April,
You’re kind to take the time to comment. Glad you liked the post.
I hope your new clerkship is going well.
John
This made me smile and certainly made my day.
I agree completely with your conclusion. At least in the workplace, the Man Gene is afforded a luxury of a warning, which the Photuris does not provide.
Poor male firefly.
Lauara,
Good to hear from you. I’m glad I made somebody’s day.
Your comment is insightful, albeit troubling, since one more female believes that the only answer to The Man Gene dilemma is death. And I noticed that your sympathy extends only to the male firefly.
John