The Myth of Masculinity: A Panel

I am very pleased to participate with Dr. Gershman and Dr. Miller in this second of two related panels, the one last month having been “The Myth of Femininity,” at which some of you may have been present, and which was quite challenging.

In starting to prepare this paper, my first thought was to try and enlarge the title to “Mythical Aspects of Masculinity,” leaving room for the possibility that when the myths are cleared away, there would remain some overall psychological something that is masculinity, and not a myth. But the more characteristics I thought of that are considered masculine the more I felt that these are wholly indoctrinated, and selectively emphasized in boys and girls, though present in both from birth. Aside from a different anatomy and related physiology, and vive la difference, there did not seem to be any characteristic that was uniquely the property of either sex.

The adult masculine qualities of stamina, courage, aggressiveness, initiative, are not absent in women. What seems to happen is that these qualities are more strongly weighted in boys, and the so-called feminine qualities such as tolerance, subordination, receptivity, attention to feelings and consideration for others are more weighted in girls.

In other words, you are born male and taught to be masculine.

MYTHS are what we might call socially glorified images that are passed along from generation to generation as goals and inspirations. In this discussion they refer to those images of masculinity that are exaggerated, one-sided, extreme, but presented and projected as factual and/or achievable. If a boy does not have them to full and overflowing degree he is taught that he may not really be a man. This early training for neurosis perpetuates the psychologically unnecessary battle between the sexes, and maintains the social order in status quo.

We infer a great deal about a culture from its myths. We can even predict to some extent how its individuals and groups may function, and what str