Microaggression is a relatively new term that refers to the tendency of the dominant culture to send subtle and largely unconscious messages to others because of their apparent group membership. There is a serious point to this, but it can be carried too far. Applied to the interaction between the sexes it may be manifested in a variety of ways; the tacit assumption that women aren’t equal to men, or that men are natural lechers. From this perspective if a man holds a door open for an attractive woman that is not an act of chivalry, but an act of Microaggression. In this instance ‘chivalry’ becomes a negatively charged word replacing ‘courtesy’. I was trained to hold doors open for women, but I also hold doors open for everyone. 

Yesterday I went to the post office and a young lady held the door open for me and smiled. There are three possible interpretations. 1. It was an act of Microaggression revealing her subtle reaction to my apparent age and grey hair. 2. It was an act of Microaggression because she thought I was cute and susceptible to her charms. 3. Or perhaps she was being courteous and would have held the door open for anyone. The danger is Hypermicroaggression, the tendency to interpret everything as microaggression.  Hypermicroaggression may be founded on misandry, the hatred of men; or on a fear of perceived misogyny, the hatred of women, or sometimes on the hatred of anyone who isn’t me.