Balance… a word often used to justify bad habits, or to make fallacious arguments meant to deceive those ill equipped to identify the wordy manipulations. Yet, true to its essence, balance is about cultivating authenticity aligned with one's inherent nature rather than indiscriminate mixture. It would be silly to speak of balance advocating that a carnivorous tiger adopt a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Obviously, balance for a tiger is found in its natural inclination towards flesh—a diet that supports its strength and vitality. Most people can accept this, and yet, as soon as discussion revolves around human beings, madness erupts. Why? Well, because we are all, oh, so special and unique nowadays. Someone or someones has been doing a lot of convincing for the last few decades, and at least half of the western world can’t get enough of the make believe.
Unfortunately, the following statement may already appear controversial to some, but we have to start somewhere: Let’s say that nature intended man to be the embodiment of masculinity, and woman—femininity, as clearly observed to a more or lesser extent in all mammals. Now, please remember the tiger: Urging man to adopt behaviors typical of femininity not only disrupts his authentic expression, but also distorts his true nature. Such a man, cloaked in behaviors alien to his essence, becomes neither feminine nor a more complete version of himself, but a diminished figure, lost and disoriented. When a woman is pressed to assume traits traditionally ascribed to masculinity, she does not ascend to a higher state of “empowerment”. Instead, she strays from the rich, inherent power of her femininity, becoming less of herself, not more. Surely, many examples spring to mind as we tread on this all too familiar territory.
This societal script, which paradoxically undervalues the feminine while criticizing the masculine, is full of hypocrisy and worse. Women are encouraged to forsake their unique feminine qualities in order to seek power and respect through masculine behaviors understood only on a surface level. This misdirection robs them of recognizing and harnessing the subtle yet potent energies of femininity, which are falsely portrayed as weaknesses rather than the profound strengths that they are. Beyond this, a woman’s interpretation and expression of masculine behavior can only come out distorted and grotesque, for, it is not inherent to her being. She copies like a parrot more than an actor, and the same applies for the man that tries to act like a woman.
In an ironic twist, the modern societal norms that aim to dismantle traditional masculinity often push women towards adopting a twisted version of these very masculine traits; a contradiction that breeds confusion and conflict. This strategic manipulation—urging men and women away from their natural dispositions—serves only to foster disunity and discord, playing into the hands of those who benefit from societal strife and control. The push for men and women to betray their intrinsic natures is sinister beyond the obvious contradictions it presents; it is a form of cultural sabotage that threatens the very fabric of communal harmony, leading to a breakdown in understanding and respect between the sexes. This deliberate muddling of so-called gender roles, if unchecked, could spell the erosion of individual authenticity—again, with great irony, as well as, societal coherence, leaving all parties weaker and perpetually at odds.
To be continued…
