A few things that people (fellas) seem to not understand about the bear vs man thing: The scenario is, a woman is walking through the woods hiking alone.
Whilst hiking, would they rather come across a bear or a strange man?
The question is not:
Who would you rather get in a fight with?
It is not “A man you know vs a bear you don’t.”
They are not being asked to hug or provoke the bear or man.
They are just walking, in the woods, and come across either a bear or a random dude they do not know.
And most of the women in these comments, as well as the ones we have talked to, plenty of whom have gone hiking alone and who have come across both bears and men whilst doing so, choose the bear as a preference to run into.
Because the threat of the bear is a known quantity and thus a much more controllable one. A bear is more likely to just keep foraging and move on its way than outright attack you, unless under very specific circumstances.
The man is not a known quantity and whether he openly displays aggression or not, a woman cannot know for certain what his intentions are.

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