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Abstract

e.I would consider myself to be atypical masculine male, I’m loud, I tend not to hold back anything, I’m boisterous, I don’t run away from anything (though maybe I should sometimes), and there are very few things that scare me. Apart from hights! that scares the sh!t out of me and maybe commitment but that’s another story.However, in the last few years, I have started to notice a strange shift in the way society views masculinity. It seems to me that (I accept that this could be a bias view), masculinity has been viewed as something barbaric, arcane, and ‘toxic’.I fear that ‘atypical masculine male’ no longer means what it used to. Just to be clear when I refer to masculinity, it’s not limited to males. What I’m inferring is a particular mindset that you have, whether you are male or female.So many times, I would have conversations with people, whether at parties or work events or whatever other social gatherings. And each time I would express interest in controlled violence (any contact sport) people would look at me as if there was something wrong with me.They would often make sure to express a facial expression demonstrating their disapproval.And this was not just limited to my enjoyment of violent sports, but so to my love of shooting, hunting, or any other atypical masculine pursuit, like camping or whatever else, that involves an element of discomfort. Though I guess discomfort is a relative term.It seems to me that these activities or pursuits have transferred from the realms of reality to the realms of fantasy, make-believe, something that you just read books

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or watch programs or play games about but not actually do.I guess the thought process goes something like this, ‘why put yourself through pain when you can just watch it on TV or YouTube.’ Making yourself think that it’s not real or just removing yourself from it.What a shame to think like that, tough experiences make you tough, they give you the ability to deal with the challenges that life throws at you. No one can protect you from the crap that life throws at you. At one time or another you will have to face them and learn to deal with them.This reminds me of the quote by G. Michael Hopf“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And weak men create hard times.”I can’t help but agree with this quote, people today seem to have, in general, softened… not willing to stomach a bit of pain, carry a few scars, or be willing to sacrifice something. I would hate to see how our western society will act when we get pushed over the edge.It seems that we are losing something particularly important. It is my hope to see the scale rebalance, that ‘masculine’ pursuits are not viewed as things to shy away from but encouraged. Society is creating an artificial dam, holding back the harsh realities of life.I’ll leave you with a final question/thought. What will happen when the dam breaks?Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I hope that you found it interesting and enjoyable. If you have any views on this subject, I would love to hear from you. So, please leave a comment.</article></body>

Masculinity. Is society losing it?

What will happen if we were to lose Masculinity?

Before I address the point of this article, I would like to address my view on Masculinity and Femininity. I see the two concepts as parts of a scale, we all share elements of both, but we vary on the degree to which we have them. And on the grand scale, they’re equally important as each other. Problems only arise when the scales become imbalanced.

To begin with. I feel like I should introduce myself and give a brief description. I’m a 30-year-old male, I’m about 181cm (6ft), weigh about 90kg (just under 200 lb), and about 8% body fat. I’ve been involved with sports in one way or another since I was 13 years old. Mostly contact sports, there is no better feeling than hitting the crap out of each other.

And I have a lot of scars to show for it, but that’s fine. Each one tells a story and builds character, to me they feel like badges of honour. Even if the reasons behind them are stupid, sometimes.

Throughout my sporting career, I’ve played anything from rugby to American football, weightlifting, kickboxing, boxing, and Muay Thai. All of which have taught me so many lessons, everything from judging risks, to being a team player, to developing discipline, and many more.

I would consider myself to be atypical masculine male, I’m loud, I tend not to hold back anything, I’m boisterous, I don’t run away from anything (though maybe I should sometimes), and there are very few things that scare me. Apart from hights! that scares the sh!t out of me and maybe commitment but that’s another story.

However, in the last few years, I have started to notice a strange shift in the way society views masculinity. It seems to me that (I accept that this could be a bias view), masculinity has been viewed as something barbaric, arcane, and ‘toxic’.

I fear that ‘atypical masculine male’ no longer means what it used to. Just to be clear when I refer to masculinity, it’s not limited to males. What I’m inferring is a particular mindset that you have, whether you are male or female.

So many times, I would have conversations with people, whether at parties or work events or whatever other social gatherings. And each time I would express interest in controlled violence (any contact sport) people would look at me as if there was something wrong with me.

They would often make sure to express a facial expression demonstrating their disapproval.

And this was not just limited to my enjoyment of violent sports, but so to my love of shooting, hunting, or any other atypical masculine pursuit, like camping or whatever else, that involves an element of discomfort. Though I guess discomfort is a relative term.

It seems to me that these activities or pursuits have transferred from the realms of reality to the realms of fantasy, make-believe, something that you just read books or watch programs or play games about but not actually do.

I guess the thought process goes something like this, ‘why put yourself through pain when you can just watch it on TV or YouTube.’ Making yourself think that it’s not real or just removing yourself from it.

What a shame to think like that, tough experiences make you tough, they give you the ability to deal with the challenges that life throws at you. No one can protect you from the crap that life throws at you. At one time or another you will have to face them and learn to deal with them.

This reminds me of the quote by G. Michael Hopf

“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And weak men create hard times.”

I can’t help but agree with this quote, people today seem to have, in general, softened… not willing to stomach a bit of pain, carry a few scars, or be willing to sacrifice something. I would hate to see how our western society will act when we get pushed over the edge.

It seems that we are losing something particularly important. It is my hope to see the scale rebalance, that ‘masculine’ pursuits are not viewed as things to shy away from but encouraged. Society is creating an artificial dam, holding back the harsh realities of life.

I’ll leave you with a final question/thought. What will happen when the dam breaks?

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I hope that you found it interesting and enjoyable. If you have any views on this subject, I would love to hear from you. So, please leave a comment.