Great article Wes! This is the exact topic I’ve been wrestling with in my own writing. One question that I have yet to find a satisfying answer to is this:
For the men who are already on the path to accepting their entire humanity and exploring their nurturing/feminine side, how do we delicately balance this with traditional masculinity so as to avoid being taken advantage of (or pushed around by) other men who are still firmly in the camp of domineering, aggressive “alpha” behaviour?
Thanks for the kind words, Greg. Glad you are wrestling with it in your own writing. Great question. To me, it's a heart posture. Defending yourself, setting boundaries, regulating emotions and communicating directly are essential. It's taking your place but not trying to let that stance overtake other's place. It looks like calling out the issues with traditional masculinity but in a way that shows a better way to express it. Not trying to replace it but transform it. Lastly, it depends on the other person's openness to change. If they are set in their ways, it's not worth confronting if you don't have the relational equity with them (unless it's an active issue like abuse or violence then address immediately). As Richard Rohr says, "the best critique of the bad is the practice of the better."
Great article Wes! This is the exact topic I’ve been wrestling with in my own writing. One question that I have yet to find a satisfying answer to is this:
For the men who are already on the path to accepting their entire humanity and exploring their nurturing/feminine side, how do we delicately balance this with traditional masculinity so as to avoid being taken advantage of (or pushed around by) other men who are still firmly in the camp of domineering, aggressive “alpha” behaviour?
Thanks for the kind words, Greg. Glad you are wrestling with it in your own writing. Great question. To me, it's a heart posture. Defending yourself, setting boundaries, regulating emotions and communicating directly are essential. It's taking your place but not trying to let that stance overtake other's place. It looks like calling out the issues with traditional masculinity but in a way that shows a better way to express it. Not trying to replace it but transform it. Lastly, it depends on the other person's openness to change. If they are set in their ways, it's not worth confronting if you don't have the relational equity with them (unless it's an active issue like abuse or violence then address immediately). As Richard Rohr says, "the best critique of the bad is the practice of the better."