As I am sitting in a café and staring into my laptop’s screen, I am occasionally startled by someone who walks straight toward me at a pace I consider too fast for comfort. When I look up, it is usually a woman walking past my table. With the possible exception of waiters, men rarely make such boo-boos. Just like me, they are instinctively aware of their surroundings, and they know that walking too fast toward someone can be interpreted as an act of aggression. Indeed, I make sure never to do anything like this. When I am walking through a café, I walk at as leisurely a pace as I can. Besides, I do my best not to walk straight toward anyone in particular. But why would women be unaware of such a protective instinct? After all, they have both men and women in their genes. Come to think of it, perhaps they are actually perfectly aware of it. Startling men in public places may be a part of increasing assurance among women. And there is a thin line between assurance and aggression. God help us all.