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How Society Has Devoured the Ideal Alpha Male

Oh Men, Oh Men, Wherefore Art Thou?

By Demetria M. Keys, published Apr 04, 2006
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From the time a bouncing baby boy is able to form complete sentences, it is instilled in him to “be a man.” “Big boys don’t cry,” they are often told; causing them to suppress their emotive side. Raised into a hardened society, males are constantly encouraged to toughen up and walk and act like a man. All references to manhood begin to take on the form of detached and lifeless beings. Emotions are said to be only for half-men who have no real backbone. The swell of societies grip implants the thought that crying is for wimps and to do so is repulsive.

To make matters worse, the current generation has introduced saggy pants, dog chains and bad attitudes as the status quo. Personality is not a prerequisite in Manhood 101 and male figures have never been allowed to embrace sensitivity for fear of being rejected in the eyes of their brotherhood. This debilitating pressure placed on males has led to one bad outcome after another. As a result of close-minded definitions of what it means to be a man, many of today’s men come off highly insensitive and are clueless to the feelings of others.

Far be it for any man to cry in public…He’d just as soon dress in drag and parade through the streets of Chicago singing “I’m Every Woman.” The only time society will allow the shedding of tears from a male seems to be in times of Playoffs or Super Bowl events, where an occasional tear is expected. Dry your eyes quickly, though; before things get too mushy. Embracing your feminine side is a no-no and is frowned upon. All these rules and then we wonder why there are fathers who have no clue on how to love. We are puzzled by husbands who never say “I love you” and boys who think it appropriate to publicly humiliate women.

Takeaways
  • Manhood has been redefined by the artistic hand of a hardened society.
  • Many men will never know what it is to just be themselves.
  • Real men shed tears.
Comments
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Uncooperative, rebellious women and a lack of true father figures create the men you speak of in this post. Not society.

Posted on 07/20/2008 at 9:07:20 AM

 
I understand and I apologize if you were offended by my response. As I always try to relay, everyone has their own opinions. Additionally, as you've stated, you have never experienced what I talk about...That is the main reason why it's not easy to generalize, because everyone DOES have their own experiences. While you may not have gone through any of what I speak about, there are many people who have...You are correct...no shot, no foul. God bless you as well.

Posted on 04/06/2006 at 9:04:00 PM

 
Sam: I understand your point, but I also want to point out one flaw in your logic. If it is not a one size fits all world, then how can there be the standard male human, with a standard height, weight, and muscular structure. Further, while I too find that I can endure greater stress than many of the women I have surrounded myself with, I also know many women able to endure more than I can. If there is a difference, I think it is rooted in power, not in phyiscal or genetic make up. Society has placed political and economic power in men and sexual power (the power to withhold or provide) in women - not nature. It takes the greater being in each of us to overcome these in both men and women.

Posted on 04/04/2006 at 9:04:00 AM

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