1/ THREAD: One toxic myth (toxic male myth) that has, unfortunately, become a warped reality for a large percentage of the population:
• Men with physical courage (or who feign physical courage) but who have little or no moral courage are the only "real men".
• Men with physical courage (or who feign physical courage) but who have little or no moral courage are the only "real men".
2/ By definition, individuals with no/little moral courage exhibit excessive group-think.
3/ Their "maleness" is measured/rationalized (in their own minds' as well as by their group) by the vehemence for which they defend their group-think (this characteristic is one cult-like feature).
4/ People who exhibit moral courage are treated as "boat-rockers" and trouble makers.
5/ The descriptor "Intellectual(s)" is very often used as a disparaging term for those with moral courage because their thinking (free-thinking) disrupts the group and engenders independent thinking.
6/ The terms, "elites" are "elitism" are used in a similar derogatory manner because free-thinking puts individuals at odds with group behavior/groupthink.
7/ i.e., "You elites think you're better than us". Members of the group feel threatened, frightened, and intimidated by independent thinking. When confronted by free-thinkers, they experience cognitive-emotional dissonance — which is manifested in anger.
8/ Thus education and free-thinking are behaviors that are contrary to the survival of the group and those with these qualities are treated as enemies by the tribe.
9/ Women, on average, exhibit higher moral courage compared with the average man, therefore men displaying moral courage are often called and treated as "feminine", defective, not fully male, etc.
10/ For example, Colin Rand Kaepernick's actions and his great moral courage has caused some groupthinkers to say he "doesn't have the skills for the NFL".
11/ Another example is the use of the term, "Snowflake" by the far-right, attempting to discount the notion of empathy (noted by @JohnCleese).
@JohnCleese 12/ In the English language, the concept of courage is largely characterized simply as physical courage while not giving the separate but related concept of moral courage its own nomenclature, dialog, and cultural value.
@JohnCleese 13/ The colloquial/idiom "He's got balls" is very often used in place of "He's got courage". This is further twisted when a woman who shows courage is described as, "She's got balls". Bizarrely, this phrase is sometimes used by women describing other women exhibiting courage.
@JohnCleese 14/ SUMMARY:
• All courage, both physical and moral, is gender-independent.
• A primary characteristic of toxic masculinity is a lack of moral courage (and an over-emphasis on physical courage).
• Group-think/tribal behavior is destructive to moral courage.
END
• All courage, both physical and moral, is gender-independent.
• A primary characteristic of toxic masculinity is a lack of moral courage (and an over-emphasis on physical courage).
• Group-think/tribal behavior is destructive to moral courage.
END
