Embracing Masculinity

There is a cancer that is effecting our social climate. It is the purposeful attack on manhood, and what it is to be a man.  Those of us who embrace manhood, are attacked. We are told we are exhibiting “toxic masculinity”. The express goal is to beat-down, demoralize and weaken men.

What are toxic characteristic masculine traits?  

• Aggression

• Being Stoic

• Physical and mental toughness

• Emotional insensitivity

• Self-sufficiency

• Discrimination against everything not heterosexual.

Aggression

There are many forms of aggression. Men use aggression positively. It is most commonly seen as assertive and setting boundaries. It’s quite ok for a woman to be assertive and to set boundaries, but not for men? Assertiveness is evident in all relationships, from business to personal, and it comes in a variety of flavors. What we never condone is the aggressive behavior that becomes physically or mentally abusive. That would be absurd. But ,being strong in your convictions, and holding firm while defending your point is not aggression.  

Being Stoic

One of the greatest Roman emperors, Marcus Aurelius, was a Stoic, and a philosopher of stoicism. The underlying philosophy of Stoicism is the understanding that there will be pain, and one must learn to accept it and move on with giving in to it. The world is unpredictable. We can’t control external events, but we can control how we choose to respond.  

There are many who view being stoic as being stern, unfriendly, anti-social and standoffish. This is to their own determent.  

Being stoic gives a man strength and understanding. 

Emotional Insensitivity

This continues along the same path of stoicism. Why be overly invested in emotion when it accomplishes so little? If someone doesn’t like something you said, or posted, or wrote, why worry about it? The ability for a man to detach himself from the emotional confines, allows him the ability to focus on more important things.

Self-Sufficiency

Why would anyone not want a man to be self-sufficient and not have to rely on anyone? A man should be able to stand on his own.  To take away this is demeaning and sole crushing to any man, and perhaps that is why it is on the list.

Discrimination against everything not heterosexual.

Men don’t care who anyone is sleeping with, maintaining with the stoic nature of men. We have no control of others’ behavior. What men don’t like is someone shoving their ideologies down our throats, demanding that we accept their beliefs. If another man “thinks” he is a woman that on him, but don’t expect a MAN to go along with it. Men know where the line is, and it’s best not to cross that line. Believe as you will, but don’t subject others to your warped beliefs.

It is high time to push back at his notion that Manhood is to be punished, and looked down upon. Parents who have young boys should be encouraged to promote these attributes that those who are attacking masculinity as “toxic” are embracing. Push back!  Boys need to learn to develop their inner monster, and be formidable, but temper it. 

The Cow Boy Code

We need to look back to the old Westerns, and the underlying rules drove the men, and woman, of those days.  It’s the Cow Boy Code.  This code lays out a foundation of respect to all, and respect for yourself.  

Coastal Virginia Karate embraces the Cow Boy code, it is the foundation of our school. We seek to build and encourage young boys to become men, to embrace their manhood, to be stand tall.