The strange thing about masculinity, to me, is the seeming incompatibility between stoicism and efficiency (which are supposed to be masculine) and the need to perform specific actions so as to "feel like" or "be" a man.
Isn't there something oddly girly (by traditional characterizations of masculinity/femininity) about the sort of man who goes out hunting because it makes him feel powerful and masculine? Hunting, for most modern humans, does not actually get anything done; it's just a way to feel nice about oneself, and what man's man needs to feel nice about himself? The pursuit of useless activities like hunting seems like an aestheticization of oneself -- a focus on frivolous appearances and one's social image -- which is totally at odds with the equally traditional picture of the man as a stoic, efficient results-machine. The same is true of the strutting overconfidence which is supposed to attract women and inspire deference in men. Insofar as it's an inaccurate presentation of oneself, and insofar as it's bad for actually
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And are not, after all, consistency and self-compatibility quintessentially masculine?
Actually, overall stoicism and efficiency are my least favorite (because least sensual) aspects of masculinity. It is with a certain delight that I observe their undermining.
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Isn't there something oddly girly (by traditional characterizations of masculinity/femininity) about the sort of man who goes out hunting because it makes him feel powerful and masculine? Hunting, for most modern humans, does not actually get anything done; it's just a way to feel nice about oneself, and what man's man needs to feel nice about himself? The pursuit of useless activities like hunting seems like an aestheticization of oneself -- a focus on frivolous appearances and one's social image -- which is totally at odds with the equally traditional picture of the man as a stoic, efficient results-machine. The same is true of the strutting overconfidence which is supposed to attract women and inspire deference in men. Insofar as it's an inaccurate presentation of oneself, and insofar as it's bad for actually ( ... )
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Actually, overall stoicism and efficiency are my least favorite (because least sensual) aspects of masculinity. It is with a certain delight that I observe their undermining.
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