10 Reasons Why Masculinity Is NOT Toxic
Masculinity is under attack on two fronts.
The first attack comes from feminism. Radical feminism promotes the idea that traditional manhood is not only toxic but harmful to women and hurtful to 52 imagined genders. Oh, wait! It’s 74 now.
The second line of attack comes from Hollywood, which promotes a twisted concept of manhood that is base, vulgar, and immoral.
The following ten reasons will help you dismantle the lies of toxic feminism, and discover the virtues of real manhood.
1. Patriarchy and masculinity are not toxic.
Pro-abortion rallies frequently feature signs that attack “the patriarchy.” But what is the patriarchy? And why do leftists hate it so much?
The word patriarchy comes from pater, which means father in Latin. Patriarchy is a natural consequence of the traditional family. The social unit of the family calls for an authority that will keep it united. This authority is usually the patriarch who has the gift to discern, lead, harmonize, coordinate, set the tone, and bring out the best in others.
The patriarch is what sociologists call a representative character. He inspires his family members to seek goals of perfection. When imbued with Catholic virtue, he moves his family to the highest of all goals: sanctification.
Far from being toxic, the patriarchy is necessary for the growth, development and progress of society. A healthy society is structured around good fathers.
You know what’s toxic? Liberals who want to destroy the natural leadership and influence of good fathers.
2. Boys are not toxic.
American scientist, Dr. Louann Brizendine, author of The Male Brain and The Female Brain explains what feminists hate to accept: Boys and girls develop differently, think differently, and communicate differently.
However, our education system favors girls over boys. As psychologist and New York Times bestselling author, Michael Thompson, states: “Girls behavior is the gold standard in schools. Boys are treated like defective girls.”
Now, doesn’t treating boys like defective girls sound toxic?
3. Violence against evil is not toxic.
Every day, evil doers disturb the peace. Acts of violence like home invasions, school shooters, or terrorist attacks need to be addressed with physical force.
For that reason, some professions require the use of physical force like the U.S. Marine Corps and the police. The use of force against violent criminals is good and just. It’s also necessary for the maintenance of order and peace. And it’s normal for men to be attracted to these honorable jobs.
Si vis pacem, para bellum. The Latin maxim “if you want peace, prepare for war” is not outdated. And since men are the best warriors, they are the best peacekeepers.
You know what’s toxic? When liberals attack the police or dishonor the military profession, pretending that nice words alone will stop a school shooter.
4. Real men practice purity.
Hollywood projects a false image of manhood. Its movies feature profane, impure, and immoral men. But real men are virtuous and pure. True manhood is united so closely to virtue that the word for man in Latin is vir. Vir and virtue have the same root.
In contrast, Hollywood presents men who indulge in every disorderly passion, men who become enslaved to sin. But nothing strips manliness away from men more than this enslavement to sin.
“A man who governs his passions is master of his world,” teaches Saint Dominic. “We must either command them or be enslaved by them. It is better to be a hammer than an anvil.”
Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira states: “There is no other virtue that prepares one more for manliness than purity.” Men who have the strength to fight impurity are “capable of every type of heroism.”
Therefore, the apex of masculinity is sanctity. A man’s man is a saint.
5. Scholarly men are not toxic.
There is nothing wrong with being a man of thought. In fact, the best men of action are frequently men of profound thought. Plato got it right when he said a man should strive to have a balance between his physical and mental development.
Throughout history, men perfected their intellect in philosophy, politics, engineering, theology, history, and science. Grand intellectual pursuits gave men the ability to tackle and solve complex problems. It’s not a question of how many degrees you have. It’s about using your intelligence properly.
Consider the army general who orchestrates hundreds of complex battle maneuvers in his mind. Or think about the colossal intellectual achievements of Saint Thomas Aquinas. There’s nothing toxic about gifted generals or brilliant theologians.
6. Civilized men are not toxic.
Good manners, etiquette, and courtesy are noble traits that every man should acquire and practice. Even poor men are able to practice these virtues.
Before feminism, men were gentlemen. Always striving for a higher standard of excellence, the gentleman willingly overcame the brutal part of his nature and displayed masculine gentleness that spoke of dignity, nobility, and protection.
It was the Catholic Church that first recognized and elevated the dignity of men, but especially women who were so degraded in pagan times. Christian morality created an atmosphere of charity, trust, and respect that harmonized and protected both sexes.
It’s not toxic to be a gentlemen. But you know what is toxic? Reverting back to barbaric times when woman were treated like chattel.
7. It’s not toxic to be adventurous.
Every man loves adventure. It’s the driving force behind boyhood battles, exploration, and daring dreams.
Missionaries, pioneers, explorers, captains and sailors who charted the world’s seas endured great risk, sacrifice, and suffering to achieve epic goals. From Saint Isaac Jogues who braved every hardship to convert the Indians, to men like Lewis and Clarke who trail blazed 8,000 miles across America, there is a constant search for something beyond the domestic, parochial, or provincial.
This yearning for greatness is good, not toxic.
8. Male breadwinners are not toxic.
Feminists argue that women should equally be the breadwinners of the family. To make the point, they compete with men in the workforce, often at the expense of motherhood. As a result, children are treated as time-consuming burdens that need to be sent off to day care where they miss their mother’s care and affection.
Although circumstances might force both mother and father to work, it is not ideal.
There is nothing wrong for men to be the sole breadwinners of the family. There is nothing wrong with having fewer material things in life – especially if mothers can focus more on rearing children.
What’s toxic? When children are raised by strangers in day care centers.
9. Chivalry is not toxic.
The more feminism attempts to tear down Chivalry, the more it shines. The virtues of Catholic Chivalry that flourished in the Middle Ages did more to perfect manhood than anything else in history. Even today, crusaders like St. Louis IX or St. Ferdinand of Castile continue to set the standard of what it means to be a man.
Fr. Robert Kane, SJ, writes that during the Middle Ages there was “a light which grew brighter as the gloom around grew blacker, a light that had been kindled within men’s souls by a fire that came from Heaven, the light of honor, that was fanned by divine faith till it reached the glorious radiance of Christian Chivalry.”
Fr. Kane continues:
“Without chivalry, wealth has no worth, pleasure no charm, fame no fascination, success no crown. Without it, prosperity crumbles to the value of the dust, and all the finer flowers of human life wither beneath the breath of bitter but just contempt.”
Life without Chivalry leaves a gaping void in our soul, and no amount of modern entertainment, sports, or video games can fill that emptiness and lack of purpose.
10. What is God calling you to be?
There is no cookie-cutter way to be a man. Every man should strive to practice as many virtues as possible. But, since every soul is different, each man should pray for the grace to understand God’s specific calling for him. Like so many crusader saints, we should ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to guide us on the path to sainthood.
Pray for courage, never give up, and always seek heroic perfection.