Masculinity - What Makes a Man?

Was never a problem throughout about 200,000 years of human beings existing. Men, women. Easy really.

Neither have I and I didnā€™t mention them.

I never said you did :man_shrugging:t2:

Thus always said the people who werenā€™t members of a discriminated-against minority.

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It was always a problem for someā€¦

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Was it? Or is it purely a ā€œmodernā€ thing. Iā€™m not talking about being gay, hell, why not. But actively wanting bits of you cut off? Canā€™t see that being a thing when youā€™re hunting animals to survive.

Intersex people have always existed, for example.

You make a good point however, since we donā€™t know how long gender identity as part of human psychology has existed.

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Iā€™d like to think / hope weā€™ve progressed a bit over that period.

I concede not having identities would still create problems and that creates outliers. No idea what the answer is.

I suspect I was wrong in thinking where you were coming from.

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This thread. What could possibly go wrong?

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Well Iā€™m off to clean the bathroom.

Jackhammer and chainsaw at the ready and Iā€™ll celebrate completion with a Yorkie bar.

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As a huge minority yes.

Nothing, because people dont actually listen to each other anyway. Just state your opinion then stick your fingers in your ears and youā€™ll never be offended by what is said in response and you will always be right.

There have always been boys who wish they were girls and girls who wish they were boys. And a fair amount of bit cutting off - although admittedly usually for other reasons.

What has really changed is the capability of medicine to let people more substantially change their bodies, not the desire to do so. Heck - half of Shakespeare is boys dressing up as girls dressing up as boys.

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Clearly this is a complex question which canā€™t be answered in one or two sentences. Attempts to do so result in exclusion and marginalisation of those that donā€™t fit in.
In some places, being a man means killing a lion, or having a bone through your lip, in others it means growing a beard, or owning a powerful car.
None of those are satisfactory and profound answers. The truth lies much deeper.

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Nah: being a man is easy. Donā€™t throw your toys out of the pram when your team loses a match.

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You think thatā€™s easy? Iā€™m on the verge of chucking out the pram.

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The idea that being a man involves protecting women is condescending to say the least.
Itā€™s something that is reminiscent of the stone age, although probably even too primitive in those days.

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We should change the name of this thread once per week. How about next week.

Toxic Masculinity - What Makes the Cro Magnon?

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Careful with becoming too modernā€¦.

I once got balled out by a person for holding a fucking door open for them. ā€œI donā€™t need a man to help me outā€. The age of chivalry is dead then in your opinion? Men are bigger and stronger and more physically capable (mostly) than women. Not an opinion, fact and weā€™ve done this here before. Call me old fashioned, I give not one shit. You think itā€™s condescending to protect people? Really? Wow.

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Iā€™m guessing from these words that the ā€˜personā€™ wasnā€™t a ā€˜manā€™. Iā€™d be interested to ask that person whether theyā€™d berate a woman in that same situation. Or whether theyā€™ve ever had help from a man in other situations. An electrician, plumber, joiner etc. Iā€™ve had doors held open for me by men, women and children. Iā€™m still able enough to open a door myself and didnā€™t need their help. Instead of berating them I simply thanked them for their curtesy. :nerd_face:

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