This is an issue a guy could never raise without being called a sexist and risking career ruin but Marci Alboher, former NY Times columist and now Yahoo.com columnist did. She reported on a luncheon panel discussion on that topic, which triggered a firestorm of reader responses. I commend it to you. HERE's the link. Here's my opinion on the issue. Some women are very ambitious but many are significantly less-so because more women than men value balance/lifestyle over rising to the top.
Unless your work products are likely to be more beneficial than if someone else did the work, a decision to opt for work/life balance over strong ambition should not be denigrated. (But don't complain about a glass ceiling if you make that choice.)
My wish though is that a woman, who, like my daughter, whose work would likely yield more benefit than if most of her peers did it (She's a quite brilliant and hard-working assistant U.S. attorney in the Justice Dept. in D.C. and whom I could see becoming an outstanding liberal but very fair judge or senior Justice Department official) will have the social conscience to realize that her life will have been more worthwhile if she worked hard at her job and that doing so will not harm her child or spouse. Indeed, for reasons, I've written about previously, they may benefit.
My wish though is that a woman, who, like my daughter, whose work would likely yield more benefit than if most of her peers did it (She's a quite brilliant and hard-working assistant U.S. attorney in the Justice Dept. in D.C. and whom I could see becoming an outstanding liberal but very fair judge or senior Justice Department official) will have the social conscience to realize that her life will have been more worthwhile if she worked hard at her job and that doing so will not harm her child or spouse. Indeed, for reasons, I've written about previously, they may benefit.
