A general rule that I think society should forget about would be gender roles, as they were, and still are, a heavy weight on society. It may be notably different than it was years ago, these roles on society tend to make either a man or women think that they are unable to fill the shoes of what the opposite sex can do.

A traditional example of a gender role would be the idea that men are the “breadwinners” for a family while women are expected to stay at home to take care of the house. This gender role is slowly diminishing, but it does not change the fact that it makes women feel as though they have to stay home and do housework while their husband makes money. Also, men tend feel as though they are not “fit” to be at home with children or housework, as the socially acceptable thing to do is go out and make money for the family. This disallows men or women to do as they please for their families, simply because of “tradition.”

Another example would be the idea of men having to become doctors or women having to become nurses. This traditional role, similarly to the “breadwinner” role, makes either men or women feel as though they must go along with their gender’s paths. While this may seem like a minor issue, it closes the window of career opportunities or ambitions for people who may wish to pursue a career that may have gender stereotypes or roles to them.

Overall, gender roles lead men or women to believe that they must follow “tradition” in order to fit in with society; while it is not a requirement to follow tradition, most people believe it is, as they do not want to be “different.” In my opinion, times are changing; people should learn how to bring in the new and take out the old, for it would greatly benefit society itself.