Extreme ‘Macho’ Societies Are Wrecking Human Culture and Our Planet

There is an overarching cultural imbalance affecting and wrecking our world — namely, the vast imbalance between ‘macho,’ ‘yang’ energies and receptive ‘yin’ energies. Whether in the larger worlds of politics and international commerce or the intimate settings of our homes and bedrooms, excessive ‘yang’ energies usually dominate or suppress our peaceful, harmonious, more creative ‘yin’ energies.

The wordnik.com website defines yin and yang this way: “ [In] (Chinese philosophy), the two fundamental principles: one negative, dark, passive, cold, wet, and feminine (yin) and the other (yang) positive, bright, active, dry, hot, and masculine. The interactions and balance of these forces in people and nature influence their behavior and fate.” This is the best brief (limited) definition I could find. I’d add that both ‘principles’ are equally important and necessary.

While accurate, this definition also points to the weird discrepancy in the ways we view ‘yin’ and ‘yang.’ How do you, dear reader, react to the words “negative, dark, passive, cold, wet” versus “positive, bright, active, dry, hot”? Sadly, I’ll bet most of us have far more positive feelings and images associated with “positive, bright, active, dry, hot” than we do with the depressing-sounding yin description. And I’ll also bet that this potent, near-universal reaction is a direct result of eons of male-dominated, yang-loving indoctrination and judgmental social ‘programming.’

It’s for very good reasons that many so-called ‘feminists’ insist humanity is still mired in harmful, cruel, heavily patriarchal societies and cultures. That’s not some feminist fantasy or misguided ‘woke’ ideology — that’s merely the dark, on-the-ground truth of our current human situation.

Where does human creativity come from?

But wait (as all those annoying infomercials screech)! Isn’t focused ‘macho,’ yang energy the prime motive behind human creativity? Isn’t it the source of all our inventiveness and ‘progress’?

In a word — NO. It’s not. It’s a part of our creative process, but it’s not even the essential part, which is yin openness and receptivity that stimulate the flow of inspiration and new ideas. As all artists, musicians, dancers, writers, and inventors know, our creative impulses spring from deep, hidden (yin) wellsprings within us that we can tap into but do not ‘control.’

The ‘control’ phase comes later, when we work to mold our ideas/fantasies/inspirations into a tangible, expressive form, such as a painting, short story, play, song, dance routine, or new invention.

In other words, human creativity is always based on a combination and collaboration between our yang and yin sides — an equal partnership — and neither one can create effectively without the other. This is especially obvious in the case of artistic or scientific creativity, but it applies equally well to all other aspects of human existence.

The paramount importance of yin and yang energies can be seen throughout all human endeavors, from relationships to trade to international politics. Here are a few examples.

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Relationships

Any worthwhile or effective marital/couples counselor will tell you that a healthy relationship depends on mutual respect and caring, and finding a workable balance between assertive and ‘passive’ states of mind. Plus, neither the ‘male’ yang energy nor the ‘female’ yin energy should dominate or be considered ‘superior.’

Yet, this healthy balance is scarce in most relationships (and societies). As noted, heavy patriarchal attitudes and behaviors persist and often dominate our relationships. This is especially true today, when we’re seeing a massive right-wing backlash against feminism, abortion rights, and true equalitarian relationships. There’s even a resurgence of controlling ‘alpha male’ belief systems, along with renewed ‘trad wife’ beliefs emphasizing feminine subservience and obedience to the husband.

Excuse me?! What century are we living in now? Many people today are scared of full equality and a truly equal marriage or partnership and are desperate to ‘turn back the clock’ and return to an earlier and (supposedly) ‘easier’ time. But was it truly easier? It likely was for the men, but for women (or whoever was in the subservient role)… it was often much harder and far more stressful and demanding.

But here, again, our overly yang and ‘macho’ attitudes are winning out, and male-dominated yang points of view are surging back and taking over (not that they ever totally left). Today, young men are inundated with angry ‘alpha male’ messaging of every description, which often veers into anti-feminist or even anti-women misogyny. That’s the case with our legions of pathetic ‘incels,’ who sit around brooding and raging online about all the terrible things women have done to them. It’s a weird combination of ‘macho’ energy and sorrowful victimhood.

What it isn’t is balanced, healthy, or relational. Instead, it submerges young men in a one-sided, ‘strong’ sexist viewpoint that ends up weakening them and wrecking all hopes of healthy relating.

Chalk up another destructive ‘victory’ for ‘macho’ yang energy.

. . .

International trade

International commerce and trade comprise an obvious ‘give and take’ situation. Without digging into the dynamics or social issues involved in global trade, it suffices to say that negotiated trade pacts are meant to create ‘win-win’ outcomes where every participating nation benefits. That’s precisely why such trade agreements take a long time to work out, and why trade negotiations are often quite arduous.

Yet under the current U.S. president’s super-yang, ‘macho’ direction, the entire global trading system has been upended and thrown into chaos. Why? Because *bleep* (I refuse to write his name anymore) has an archaic, aggressive vision of ‘winning’ an ongoing, vicious ‘trade war’ against ALL other nations and their economies.

Thus, *bleep* has imposed staggering new tariffs on almost all imported goods and thrown global financial and commercial markets into a tailspin. Plus, he (bizarrely) waffles almost daily, proclaiming and then retracting his on-again, off-again tariffs.

This behavior strikes me as both juvenile and intensely manipulative. He is reveling in his almost total power to issue commands and then retract them… or issue tariffs and then rescind or modify them at will. He is gloating over his newfound power to shake the world economy to its core, and gleefully coerce other nations into ‘toeing the (*bleep*) line.’

Within his macho, super-yang mindset, which is SO imbalanced that it’s become insane, he believes the U.S. can and should dominate world leaders and world trade and bully them into complete submission. In his over-the-top ‘yangness,’ he lusts after a global reality in which he and the U.S. always ‘win’ while everyone else ‘loses’ or somehow knuckles under.

In this way, *bleep* and the U.S. are successfully alienating the entire world and turning the global community against them and our ongoing U.S. interests. And it’s crucial to see that this horrendous turn of events emerged directly from *bleep’s* deep imbalance between yin and yang and the utter lack of yin ‘give and take’ on his part.

In the overly yang, super-competitive mindset, there is no such thing as ‘healthy cooperation’ or a balanced ‘win-win’ agreement. There is only one-sided personal or national ‘winning’ — and screw everyone else.

Politics

All over the world, super-yang ‘macho men’ and tyrants have been rising and wresting control of our societies from ‘we the people.’ For a brief period, in the late 20th and very early 21st centuries, it looked like democracy and more egalitarian forms of government and social organization were the way to go, and were the future wave.

Nope! Not so fast. Over the past 10–15 years, there’s been a vast, worldwide counter-reaction against democracy, equalitarian ideals, feminism, and social and environmental justice. It seems that the ancient, ugly beliefs underlying our super-yang, patriarchal systems are reasserting themselves and viciously imposing themselves on our societies once again.

Rather, these ancient belief systems are now embodied in various ‘human dinosaurs’ who have become tyrannical, as have their followers. I’m referring to influential autocratic rulers like Putin, Netanyahu, and *bleep*. These mentally and emotionally imbalanced ‘leaders’ are actively forcing our societies to reverse course and revert to angry patriarchal, ‘yang’ viewpoints, laws, and social attitudes.

These recent political trends are evident in the case of *bleep.* His macho megalomania is clear, especially in his frequent threats to take over Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal. Meanwhile, *bleep* is rapidly tearing down many governmental and social structures that made the U.S. a somewhat tolerable society over the past fifty years. He is reversing many decades of social, environmental, racial, voting rights, and women’s progress, and working hard to reinstate harsh, super-yang, or even punitive laws and social attitudes.

Of course, the punitive or oppressive laws and attitudes he encourages are directed at women, Blacks, Hispanics, recent immigrants, and other ‘inferior’ humans, never at White men.

White males, especially White male Christians, are not only exempt but are protected and exalted — and actively encouraged to lord it over the rest of us.

That’s what happens — what necessarily happens — when the yin-yang balance is destroyed and out-of-control yang energies run rampant. It’s a sure recipe for social and interpersonal disintegration and collapse.

Finding balance is crucial for both individuals and our societies

These are just a few examples of the chaos, pain, and destruction that ensue when our essential yin and yang energies get totally out of balance. Our planet is now in the iron grip of resurgent ‘macho,’ super-yang energies and belief systems — while the imagined, longed-for ‘return of the sacred feminine’ has receded into a vague, distant memory.

As of today, the yin ‘sacred feminine’ is taking a severe beating, all around the planet, while angry, punitive ‘macho’/yang energies prevail and dominate.

But nature has a way of righting such vast imbalances, and our super-yang approach to ‘civilization’ is causing significant harm to both our ecosphere and our societies. Sooner or later, all our macho excesses and human rights violations will lead to social collapse and violence… so that somehow, balance and respectful human and national relations can be restored or created.

Finding this crucial balance is the most vital aspect of human growth and transformation, at this point (at any point, really) in our sordid, sad history. We can get there as learning, growing, aware individuals.

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As for our overall societies, cultures, and nations, though… in those much larger realms, creating a meaningful, healthy balance of yin and yang seems almost impossible. It’snot looking good. Many out-of-control nations — and their out-of-control, yang-addled leaders — are now stepping up their attacks on ALL the ecological, social, and cultural progress of the past 60 years. Dangerous, autocratic ‘cults of personality’ are fast replacing real leadership and democracy itself, all across the globe.

Clearly, the human race is in big trouble. Any cultural balance and healthy social progress look like distant, unattainable dreams. As I said, it’snot looking good.

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This post was previously published on ILLUMINATION.

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