When it comes to the pay gap between men and women, I am a skeptic.

Well, wait a minute. Let me try that again. I'm not skeptical about the existence of the pay gap. I'd be a fool to deny all that cold, hard reality. I just don't think it's usually a result of sex discrimination. Nearly all of the pay gap can be explained by the lifestyle choices that women are more likely to make. Such as the following:

* Until the latest generations of women, entering the workforce later than men.

* Until the latest generations of women, less formal education than men. (For you youngsters who may not know, back in the dark ages, women used to drop out of school to get married. Really!)

*Then and now, interruptions of career to bear and rear children.

*Choosing a "job" instead of a "career" to have more time for family.

* Working fewer hours because of personal/family needs.

* Placing a premium on flexibility rather than money because of personal/family needs.

* Tending to choose cleaner, safer jobs that don't involve heavy lifting, extensive travel, or other "negative" working conditions where the tradeoff may be premium pay.