On Toxic Masculinity: A Brief Response

 

A Brief Response to the Idea of Toxic Masculinity

 

“It is necessary for a prince, if he wants to preserve himself, to learn how to not be good, and to use this knowledge and not use it as necessity dictates.”

 - Niccolò Machiavelli

Portrait of Niccolò Machiavelli by K. Hinchey

The Essence of Virtue

As men, we must essentially maintain a capacity for danger AND a good intuitive sense of when each hand should be played.

I think it was Dr. Jordan Peterson who I heard speak on this not too long ago. He would add that one is NOT virtuous if he is a man who has little-to-no capacity for danger and is merely agreeable. In such a case, a man would simply be considered weak. Weak is certainly NOT the same as virtuous.

Virtuous is the man who reserves the ability to unleash the monster within and withholds the utilization of it unless/until circumstances call for its release. Weak is the man who befriends everyone and who finds the discomfort in confrontation, all too often, more powerful than his own will. In fact, I submit that the latter man is untrustworthy. A friend to everyone is a genuine friend to none.

Indeed, VIRTUOUS is BOTH:

the man you call upon when you are in need of assistance, a gentle hand, or guidance;

as well as the man you call upon when your home is under invasion by masked-up gunmen.

Destructive Ideology

Isn’t it clear how significant of an issue this particular idea is in today’s society? Not the idea itself, of course, but rather the agendas being pushed onto our Western culture, which, by their natures, are seemingly not only softening but suppressing masculinity. It’s as if they’re trying to objectify many genuinely masculine qualities as “toxic masculinity.”

Now, do I think that toxic masculinity is a thing? My answer would be not necessarily. I think that toxicity is a thing. I think that a stereotype with a very misleading title has been coined within our culture to describe masculine men who tend to exhibit toxic and narcissistic behavior. To use the terminology “toxic masculinity” is misleading because it is not necessarily any man’s masculinity that his toxic behaviors stem from; rather it is his character and can heavily depend on the individualized circumstances of each man.

It is likewise not a woman’s feminine nature that constitutes her “toxicity”. It is rather her character, by which we measure through observation of her integrity, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and wisdom- all of which are similarly influenced by her social environment.

Masculinity & Testosterone

Some studies have found that high levels of testosterone can be associated with aggression, risk-taking behavior, and other negative behaviors in men. For example, men with higher levels of testosterone may be more likely to engage in physical confrontations or exhibit antisocial behavior. Additionally, some studies have found a correlation between high levels of testosterone and criminal behavior.

However, it is important to note that not all men with high levels of testosterone exhibit negative behaviors, and the relationship between testosterone and behavior is not deterministic. Again, factors such as social context and individual differences in personality play a significant role in shaping how testosterone influences behavior.

I think that to use misleading umbrella terminology, such as “toxic masculinity” (or even “toxic femininity”), is to fundamentally think in a very narrow stereotypical, and prejudiced manner.