This comment was by Bill on the post “Why ‘Manning Up’ is the Worst Thing You Can Do” by Mark Greene.
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Bullying is a “hot button” issue to me. In other words, when I deal with this issue, sometimes my emotions outrun my intellect. I also get angry at people who defend bullying, and there are more than a few of them.
I agree that bullying is a product of insecurity. But I also believe that some people just enjoy hurting other people. I also believe that a spirit of extreme competitiveness can lead to bullying, especially in those situations in which the competition is forced.
Just to make sure I’m not misunderstood, I don’t consider machismo and traditional masculinity to necessarily be the same. A man can be traditional, but consider macho attitudes to be dumb. I just get tired of those whose thinking is dominated by the “real men” mindset, which frequently disregards moral courage as an honorable trait. In fact, I’m convinced that the popular culture devalues it.
Many men feel uncomfortable about defining or redefining masculinity because we feel like our manhood is under assault. (I include myself in that category.) Perhaps the few of us who have posted in this topic have more agreement than we realize.
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