If you were alone in the woods, would you rather encounter a bear or a man? The answers to this hypothetical question have sparked an ongoing debate about why the vast majority say they would feel more comfortable choosing a bear.
The topic has been hotly debated for weeks, with men and women around the world sharing their thoughts on social media.
Screenshot HQ, a TikTok account, started the conversation by asking half a dozen women if they would rather meet a man they don’t know or a bear in the forest. Of the seven women interviewed for the article, only one chose a man.
“Bear. The man is scary,” one of the women replies.
A number of women echoed the responses given in the original video, writing in the comments that they too would prefer a bear over a man. This assumption divides people, with some expressing sadness at the state of the world and others joking about the situation. Some men are stunned.
Here’s what we know.
A bear is the safest choice, no doubt about it, many say
There were lots of responses, over 65,000 to be exact, under the original post, with many writing that they understood why women would choose a bear.
“No one will ask me if I led the bear or give me a pamphlet on bear attack prevention tips,” wrote @celestiallystunning.
@Brennduhh wrote: “When I die, leave my body in the woods, wolves will be gentler than any man.”
“I know a bear’s intentions,” another woman wrote. “I don’t know a man’s intentions. no matter how kind they are.”
Other TikTok users went further by asking their loved ones the hypothetical question. Meredith Steele, who goes by @babiesofsteele, asked her husband last week if he would prefer their daughter encounter a bear or a man in the woods. Her husband said he “didn’t like either option” but said he was leaning toward the bear.
“Maybe it’s a friendly bear,” he said.
Diana, another TikTok user, asked her sister-in-law what she would choose and was left speechless.
“I asked her, you know, just for fun. She said, ‘You know, I’d rather it be a bear because if the bear attacks me and I get out of it , everyone will believe me and have sympathy for me,” she said. “But if a man attacks me and I get away with it, I’m going to spend my whole life trying to get people to believe me and have sympathy for me.”
The bear vs. man debate shakes things up, women and some men disagree
This assumption has sparked some tension, with some women saying men will never truly understand what it means to be a woman, nor the dangers inherent in the game.
Social media users have answered this question themselves, producing memes, spoken word poetry and sketches in the days and weeks that followed.
So, what would you choose?
