How masculinity is misunderstood

In a sea of disagreement and contradictory points of view, one topic that has loudly come to the surface is that of gender equality. In what should also be amended, wording wise, in the Declaration of Independence, all men and women are created equal. The most obvious advancement in the equality of genders is the very existence of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who currently has a lead on her male competitor. America now accepts women as viable leaders, as equal breadwinners, and just as capable as her male co-worker. Our economic leaders have since come to support this idea and are finally beginning to give women the same pay as men. So, does this rise in social status for women take away from the masculinity of men? Hardly.

It is possible that those who consider themselves feminists suffer from a lack of self confidence, always on the lookout for derogatory actions or remarks made by men, even when there are none. For someone who is constantly looking for a hint of inequality, they are sure to find it.

But let’s not confuse equality in social, political, and economic status amongst men and women with sameness. There are still things in this world that only a man can do and women should accept that.

If men and women were equal in every sense of the word, then gender itself would no longer be relevant. We would become asexual beings with no need for two people of the opposite sex to reproduce. A woman cannot create life without a man, nor a man without a woman. It is a scientific fact that one needs the other. This instance speaks to a much greater phenomenon of the dependence men and women have on each other's unique abilities.

This idea is illustrated in a study conducted by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, where results suggested that “male brains are structured to facilitate connectivity between perception and coordinated action, whereas female brains are designed to facilitate communication between analytical and intuitive processing modes.” It is safe to say that according to these findings, men and women compliment each other. Women contribute critical thinking, whereas men physically make it happen.

Masculinity and femininity are two parts of our society designed uniquely and combined to help humanity as a whole.

The misinterpretation of the definition of masculinity is what leads some women to hate it so much. Feminists today may feel that masculinity is a social tool used to dominate women and give men a higher status. However, it is truly its own selfless entity. All men can agree that we gain a sense of accomplishment and nobility when we do something to help a woman. Very few will tell you that they do it to remind them how much better than women they are.

Should feminism really be about letting a woman struggle as she tries to put her luggage in the overhead bin while knowing that I am perfectly capable of doing it without physical strain? Absolutely not. Gender equality does not suddenly nullify the act of being a gentleman. Just because I hold the door open for a woman, does not mean that I believe she is incapable of holding the same job as me, or that she is incapable of leading this country. It is only an act of kindness that was taught to me by my father, and that I will probably someday pass on to my son.

We're still adjusting to opening up the gender norms. Having a woman pay for my lunch still has a taboo feeling to it, but I quickly remember that this is the new normal. Having a woman fight for our country used to be unheard of, but I proudly salute anybody who puts their life on the line to protect the American populace.

Considerate and honorable men pride themselves in being so and their actions do not always require an alternative agenda. Should feminists succeed in getting rid of the cultural and biological practice of masculinity, we can be assured that a new wave of women would come along craving the very mindset in men that they worked so hard to eradicate. This is because masculinity has a natural and necessary place in the world. Masculinity is not an idea, but a natural instinct. It is what makes a male different from a female, but not necessarily in a superior way. We all appreciate the advancements that women have made in our history, so let’s focus on moving forward together rather than create a battle of the sexes where one is not needed.