I'm reading this book "Tender Warrior", about men's purpose in life and their "role" as masculine characters. A recent passage i came across really stuck out as something that bothered me.
The book cites Gloria Steinem, a pioneer in the modern feminist movement, with her feelings about the progressive woman, "We are human beings first with minor differences from men that apply largely to the act of reproduction. The only functional difference between men and women is the woman's ability to give birth; a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle." Granted, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and while I'm certainly not attacking Gloria on her idea of men and women, I do have my concerns. She makes her argument quite clear that women don't need men and men don't need women. If she really feels this way, she must be a lonely, needy person. Obviously no woman is required or chooses to be in a relationship with a man or vice versa, but I believe if you think about it in a worldly perspective, this notion is headed for a self-destructive path. My views originate from my spirituality and my biblical based ideas. I believe the reality of it is men and women experience life differently, women project a different "voice" then men as Carol Gilligan says. Women's existence has a greater sense of relationship and connectivity, while men value action and freedom. In scripture, God said, "It is not good for man to be alone." In fact she originates or was created out of man, and his need.
I'm guessing others have thoughts on this, if so please share.
3 comments:
I think the author;s comments are rooted in history's definitions of masculinity and femininity (i.e. women cannot support themseleves let alone survive without a protective and working husband). I guess I have the opposite interpretation of this passage then the original poster of this blog comment. I think in the end regardless of if we are men or women, society suggests that this is what is most important, but in reality we are all individuals who need to learn to support and be comfortable with ourselves. And, I think the poster's comments suggest that the only recognized relationship is one between a man and a woman. What about women who need other women or men who need other men? In the end I think the author was attempting to say that the historical view of women needing men to survive is unfounded and socially constructed.
The fact that the author actually thinks that men and women are completely non-dependent is absurd. Not only does a woman need a man to give birth in the first place, but people need emotional connections as much if not more than physical ones. I agree when you say that she must be a very lonely person and the only reason she would actually think that women don't need men is probably because she was hurt in the past and is still bitter about it. Humans weren't created to reproduce, but also to live and above all love.
Thank you, thank you for being brave enough to put your personal beliefs out there! We are all so interconnected and people were created for companionship. Like you said, it's not that someone has to be in a relationship, but it goes way too far to think that people don't need one another.
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