The High Cost of Manliness
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The article “The High Cost of Manliness” written by Robert Jensen first appeared on Alternet.org in September 2006 talks about the hardness of being a man in our society with all the demands that comes with the conception of masculinity. According to Robert Jensen, we need the get rid of the idea of masculinity. By doing that, the world would be a better place for both men and women.
The masculine man feels that in order to prove his manhood, he has to be competitive and aggressive. No matter if its regarding his job, a woman or even as a boy at the playground, he wont hesitate to use violence in order to achieve his goals. Those men dont want to be called sissies, girls or other accusation that will make them feel less than a man, so they use their strength and aggressiveness to control.
The man desire for control is dangerous for woman because men are using their strength to control the women, which can lead to cases of rape and battery.
According to Robert Jensen, knowing that men and woman are different physically and behaviorally should direct us to the understanding that we need to stop comparing and get rid of the concept of masculinity. Men and women need to be treating each other as a human being.