Why is it important for men to speak up for women in the face of abuse, inequality, and devaluing? To answer that question, I’d like to first address another issue: why do men seek to control, abuse, and dominate women?
In his book, King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine, author Robert Moore addresses some of the psychological and anthropological reasons behind male dominance over women. His analysis? Men have not been initiated, ritualized, nor taught how to be responsible, blessed, and gentle people. We have males in adult bodies but with a “boy psychology” (borrowing Moore’s phrase) filled with immaturity, irresponsibility, and sometimes untamed sexual energies seeking to oppress. Much of the work that men must do is to undergo the process of claiming their masculinity in adulthood and becoming responsible human beings that bless women and men alike.
I grew up seeing women abused in my family of origin. It stretched out to four generati…
In his book, King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine, author Robert Moore addresses some of the psychological and anthropological reasons behind male dominance over women. His analysis? Men have not been initiated, ritualized, nor taught how to be responsible, blessed, and gentle people. We have males in adult bodies but with a “boy psychology” (borrowing Moore’s phrase) filled with immaturity, irresponsibility, and sometimes untamed sexual energies seeking to oppress. Much of the work that men must do is to undergo the process of claiming their masculinity in adulthood and becoming responsible human beings that bless women and men alike.
I grew up seeing women abused in my family of origin. It stretched out to four generati…