One is the loss of an attribute and the other is gaining an attribute. Not quite the same thing since a loss of masculinity doesn’t make one more feminine.
I don’t think it’s a negative statement to say that men’s culture views losing masculinity as gaining femininity, just an observation. Certainly, I didn’t mean that as an attack on men.
What would be a clearer way for me to express my viewpoint?
That is a negative statement and it is a poor and disengenuous way to frame men. There is no “men’s culture” in the same way there is no “women’s culture.” Homogenizing male views is just as harmful as doing the same thing to women.
Perhaps I live in an area with more segregation of the sexes, but there is absolutely a divide between men and women here. Stepping out on a limb here, but I would say there’s also a divide online given the fact that we need our own community where no men are allowed to post or reply. This post itself is an observation on the differences in view of masculinity and femininity between men and women. Quite frankly, compared to calling masculinity arbitrary, I think my point was quite tame.
My original statement is based upon my lived experience. I appreciate your explanation as to why I’m wrong, but as I asked before: what would be a good way to degeneralize?
I don’t know how to explain to someone how not to generalize if they know and understand what a generalization is. Knowing the meaning of the thing should be a spring board to help avoid doing the thing. I can’t fix a sentence where I don’t agree with the premise.
This post is about etymology and the nature of masculinity and feminity as concepts, the subtext being that they are arbitrary.
My point was that they aren’t two sides of a sliding scale.
Yes, I understand your point about femininity and masculinity not being opposites on a scale - that’s what you said in your first comment.
My point was simply that most of the men I’ve met don’t share your view that they aren’t two sides of a sliding scale. Again, that’s likely regional and portrays my lived experience.
Does that adequately portray the anecdotal aspect?
emasculate = less manly
effeminate = more womanly
???
One is a verb, the other an adjective. Apples and oranges.
The analog to emasculate is defeminize.
The pivot point clearly being man.
What’s funny is that both could include castration.
Interestingly, both are from the Latin prefix “ex-” plus gender. Apparently “ex-” can mean both “away from” or “thoroughly”.
One is the loss of an attribute and the other is gaining an attribute. Not quite the same thing since a loss of masculinity doesn’t make one more feminine.
Unless you ask a man
Good thing this is a women’s community, right? Hopefully one where we avoid over general and negative statements about men.
I don’t think it’s a negative statement to say that men’s culture views losing masculinity as gaining femininity, just an observation. Certainly, I didn’t mean that as an attack on men.
What would be a clearer way for me to express my viewpoint?
That is a negative statement and it is a poor and disengenuous way to frame men. There is no “men’s culture” in the same way there is no “women’s culture.” Homogenizing male views is just as harmful as doing the same thing to women.
Perhaps I live in an area with more segregation of the sexes, but there is absolutely a divide between men and women here. Stepping out on a limb here, but I would say there’s also a divide online given the fact that we need our own community where no men are allowed to post or reply. This post itself is an observation on the differences in view of masculinity and femininity between men and women. Quite frankly, compared to calling masculinity arbitrary, I think my point was quite tame.
My original statement is based upon my lived experience. I appreciate your explanation as to why I’m wrong, but as I asked before: what would be a good way to degeneralize?
I don’t know how to explain to someone how not to generalize if they know and understand what a generalization is. Knowing the meaning of the thing should be a spring board to help avoid doing the thing. I can’t fix a sentence where I don’t agree with the premise.
This post is about etymology and the nature of masculinity and feminity as concepts, the subtext being that they are arbitrary.
My point was that they aren’t two sides of a sliding scale.
Yes, I understand your point about femininity and masculinity not being opposites on a scale - that’s what you said in your first comment.
My point was simply that most of the men I’ve met don’t share your view that they aren’t two sides of a sliding scale. Again, that’s likely regional and portrays my lived experience.
Does that adequately portray the anecdotal aspect?
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