Anyone at all who gives this more that two seconds of thought knows these issues are not to be compared, but to be seen as part of one complex that should be solved as one, should we ever hope to resolve it.
Accentuating issues on one side while grossly belittling ones on the other isn’t gonna cut it. You won’t magically fix the culture of aggression and dominance as the only acceptable behavior, inability to complain and find healthy guidance, social hierarchies and pressures, exclusion and alienation of men from large parts of social life that can be vital to them, the indoctrination by “men are dangerous”, by reducing it to “oh women don’t smile at them, cry me a river”. Neither will the gross overgeneralizations, lumping half the planet’s population into some psycho category, help resolve the matter.
Men need to receive care, attention, to have a safe space for their emotions, to unlearn the unhealthy parts in a safe environment while keeping in touch with themselves and a healthy masculinity. They need healthy interactions with women to receive a balanced and healthy perspective, learn proper boundaries, dispel unhealthy views. We should be on the lookout for individuals who need help and professional attention, and who is most likely to pose danger if left this way. The very things that make some men dangerous grow at their most in isolation. We shouldn’t let it happen, if not for the sake of men, then for the sake of women.
Women can - and should - take part in that. Let’s start simple: it’s totally healthy to address safety concerns, and a lot need to be said about it, but let’s work on the second part, let’s not compare or reduce someone else’s feelings and struggles in a neverending tug of war. We can talk, and there are intertwined issues on both sides that we need to untangle together. Let’s get it done.
Anyone at all who gives this more that two seconds of thought knows these issues are not to be compared, but to be seen as part of one complex that should be solved as one, should we ever hope to resolve it.
Accentuating issues on one side while grossly belittling ones on the other isn’t gonna cut it. You won’t magically fix the culture of aggression and dominance as the only acceptable behavior, inability to complain and find healthy guidance, social hierarchies and pressures, exclusion and alienation of men from large parts of social life that can be vital to them, the indoctrination by “men are dangerous”, by reducing it to “oh women don’t smile at them, cry me a river”. Neither will the gross overgeneralizations, lumping half the planet’s population into some psycho category, help resolve the matter.
Men need to receive care, attention, to have a safe space for their emotions, to unlearn the unhealthy parts in a safe environment while keeping in touch with themselves and a healthy masculinity. They need healthy interactions with women to receive a balanced and healthy perspective, learn proper boundaries, dispel unhealthy views. We should be on the lookout for individuals who need help and professional attention, and who is most likely to pose danger if left this way. The very things that make some men dangerous grow at their most in isolation. We shouldn’t let it happen, if not for the sake of men, then for the sake of women.
Women can - and should - take part in that. Let’s start simple: it’s totally healthy to address safety concerns, and a lot need to be said about it, but let’s work on the second part, let’s not compare or reduce someone else’s feelings and struggles in a neverending tug of war. We can talk, and there are intertwined issues on both sides that we need to untangle together. Let’s get it done.