What a quagmire. So much to say, but I'll stick to a single point. In my day, "willing the good of the other" was called "respect". As a man, I was raised to respect women (or else!!!), and I was taught to be a "gentleman". Feminism taught me that being a gentleman actually disrespected women by reinforcing the patriarchy and toxic mascu…
What a quagmire. So much to say, but I'll stick to a single point. In my day, "willing the good of the other" was called "respect". As a man, I was raised to respect women (or else!!!), and I was taught to be a "gentleman". Feminism taught me that being a gentleman actually disrespected women by reinforcing the patriarchy and toxic masculine values. I've tried to modify my understanding of what it means to be a gentleman, but I'm frequently unsure whether my behaviour will be regarded as respectful or disrespectful. It's a jungle out there.
What a quagmire. So much to say, but I'll stick to a single point. In my day, "willing the good of the other" was called "respect". As a man, I was raised to respect women (or else!!!), and I was taught to be a "gentleman". Feminism taught me that being a gentleman actually disrespected women by reinforcing the patriarchy and toxic masculine values. I've tried to modify my understanding of what it means to be a gentleman, but I'm frequently unsure whether my behaviour will be regarded as respectful or disrespectful. It's a jungle out there.