The ugly reality of how Trump and Putin got ahead
There is a popular myth about what ingredients make up “masculinity.” Ideas of what constitutes a “real” man are seriously warped for many people. In these people’s heads, masculinity has to do with a tough outer shell. They see men like Trump, men like Putin — as the ultimate in male strength.
People like this also view the idea of men showing humanity — showing emotion — as weakness. In my humble opinion, this thought process is part of what helped get Assolini elected. But these people have it all wrong. An outer shell of belligerent anger has nothing to do with masculinity.
Many abusive men share these traits. There is nothing “masculine” about bluster. There is nothing masculine AT ALL about not having the ability to cry — to show feeling. When we look at a great painting, we want to see the feelings of said painting. We don’t want a blank canvas. We want a picture that has a voice — that purrs with life and humility.
And it’s the same with a magnificent piece of sculpture or a good television show — or a fantastic book. We look for depth — because depth is beauty. Why then do we not do the same with men? USA Today has a story out that speaks of “militarized masculinity” — and how the consequences of this type of non-masculinity can be deadly.
This is because men like Putin cannot and will not acknowledge defeat. They view ANY sort of defeat — the big ones and the small ones — as weakness.
“Only the strong shall survive” is how they think and process information. And this makes them erratic — it makes them very difficult to deal with in all ways, but especially on the battlefield. The article calls for a rejection of this sort of toxic masculinity.
We have a long way to go in that respect. There is a fascination in our society with Immoral men. For example, did you know that both Charles Manson and Scott Peterson received countless marriage proposals in prison? For all I know, Peterson still does.
Luckily, we have leadership that understands Putin and men like him. They know the way his mind works and functions like nobody else. As this violent attack from Putin goes on, we should all be glad the right people are in leadership in our country to guide us through it.
