Ode to the Patriarchy

In the spirit of amplifying Unconventional Wisdom, I’d like to challenge the current narrative that overwhelmingly lauds the feminine and vilifies the masculine. The fact that "Toxic Masculinity" is part of our vernacular in the West speaks volumes about women's attitudes about men. In recent decades women have been given sobering levels of power, but seem to lack the wisdom to understand where it came from, and that it comes with equally sobering levels of responsibility.

Ironically, the only reason American women can prosper and enjoy our independence is that MEN built a civilization in which Betas like us can thrive. In a world where survival depends on the ability to build shelter, hunt for food and defend against armies – women are acutely aware of the value of their men. But from the safety of modern life in America we can afford to insult and belittle the men who afforded us the very right to do so.

Despite conventional wisdom, Judeo-Christian men have never treated women with the degree of contempt women level at them today. I recently saw The King and I at a local theatre and was struck at the true story of a lovely young widow traveling across the world with her young son in the 1800’s. During the long voyage she shared the ship with an all-male captain and crew, and yet she was perfectly safe. Not only did British leadership tap her for this most important diplomatic mission (it seems men did respect women back then after all), but she was treated with utter deference by the crew. Did she think herself somehow "unequal" because she relied upon them for food, shelter and protection along the way? On the contrary, I suspect she was secure in the knowledge that she was there because of her intelligence, diplomacy and skill. Appreciating the men who endured the punishing demands of the voyage to deliver her safely to her destination in no way diminished her own power and worth. 

One more note: it’s very easy to confuse a cultural shift with misogyny. Of course men looked askance at women participating in business and politics, because it was a new idea. But that is not the same as a nefarious desire to hold us back, or an institutional lack of respect for women. If it were, life in the west would look very different for women than it does today. The inconvenient truth is that women are where they are today because the patriarchy of yesteryear allowed it. Modern women love to rail on about the overbearing, domineering, disrespectful patriarchy - while completely missing the irony that if their claims were true, they'd never be allowed to complain about it!

Instead of honoring the men who honor us in so many ways, and appreciating their extraordinary strength, loyalty and fortitude, like petulant teenagers our pride and arrogance fool us into thinking we no longer need them at all. Worse, that men are ignorant, bullying creatures who must sit down and be quiet, and let women rule. In this humble writer’s opinion, we are profoundly poorer for it.