foolish, ghoulish, and childish

I made a trans pride Keith Haring edit! 

first version has the word “pride”, second version doesn’t.

“I used to have a lot of questions about what it meant to be desirable, to be feminine, to be smart, to be successful. All of those things where women have, more so than men, a cheat sheet: “Well, this is what works for most people.” And you’re like, “Okay, but I don’t fit in this one. This didn’t work out for me.” Even just realizing I was bisexual was a huge thing for me. I was like, “Wait, I don’t have to dress any certain way to attract a certain type of person.” I just have to be the way that I’m comfortable, and you end up drawing the right soul.”

Asa Smith. Celestial Illustrations from Smith’s Illustrated Astronomy. 1851.

Cheese burger = There is a version of a burger that has cheese. It’s not a statement that all burgers have cheese, but that 1 variation of a burger has cheese.

Masculinity = Masculinity

It isn’t toxic to be confident, strong, assertive or loyal. It isn’t toxic to be physically active or to earn a solid living by working hard. It isn’t toxic to protect the people around you or to work with your hands or to feel proud of your accomplishments. These are all elements of traditional masculinity and they aren’t inherently bad.

It does no one any good to sit here and mock masculinity, as though it were something the people should ashamed of embracing. Should anyone feel pressured to adhere solely to masculine elements in their life? Of course not. That’s where toxic masculinity comes in. But that’s different from masculinity itself.

The Consumer Culture tells us that Manliness is bought.

It is important to “appear” Manly.

Buy the right clothes, right car, right home, right education, right love partner,  even the right body (big muscles, mostly steroid induced).

Everything that the Consumer Culture “says” to make a Man “appear” Manly, with a fat wallet.

The Martial Culture, the culture of the fight gyms, proposes that to be Manly a Man must earn it.

Training and fighting produce Manliness.

Manliness is the ability and willingness to fight.

Manliness includes fight skills,a  trained and conditioned body and most importantly the Moral Virtues of Humility, Integrity, Selflessness, Self Control and always showing Respect.

A Man doesn’t “buy” Manliness, he earns it through training and fighting.

Train and fight!

Always seek true Manliness!