this post was submitted on 20 Oct 2023
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The implication is that some form of masculinity is toxic, but masculinity (and femininity) are purely mature forms of the psyche, in which men can exude femininity in a healthy way, as well as women can take on masculinity. Essentially, I’m coming from more of a Jungian school of thought where what could be considered toxic masculinity has no true identity in masculinity, but is a shadow of it. Kind of like those knock off designer bags.
This may seem to be splitting hairs, but if you view masculinity and femininity in this way it allows for more concise and target discussion about responsibility and maturity.
I can respect your point of view, but to ignore common parlance in discussing these issues and claiming they don't exist, is not how you foster healthy conversations about how to support the victims of these behaviors.
Being pedantic about the language reads identically to someone saying that these issues don't exist, and that's why you're being gang-rushed in replies.
It’s more about combatting the root than just demonizing the pus filled scab that is the cultural. This is because we don’t have good mentors and role models for young males on what maturity looks like and 4th wave feminist ideals have just piled on. We have a mental health issue, that is manifesting as a cultural issue.
Telling people there's no such thing as toxic masculinity does nothing to address any of those problems, and instead appears to average people as sweeping them under the rug. All my examples of toxic masculinity are, in fact, pervasive, as well as cultural.
And none of them have anything to do with feminism and everything to do with perpetuating a cycle of abuse under the guise of the ideal of perfect male behavior.