Well, Actually, Confronting Toxic Masculinity and becoming better allies.
I was planning a long article detailing the dangers of toxic masculinity on society, and how men can work towards growing beyond the toxicity that we have been raised around, and exposed to.
A topic as complex as toxic masculinity should best be broken down into segments, detailing the various components that lead to toxic behavior, and how we can move past it.
Let this serve as part one of my attempt to dissect toxicity. Men must absolutely, positively learn to shut up, sit down, and listen. Mansplaining is an epidemic rooted in toxic masculinity. We tend to feel the need to give our opinions over a wide range of subjects, in order to not appear weak or ignorant. There is no need for this, a healthy conversation doesn’t require men to one up, talk over, or re-state the obvious. In order to move forward as better allies to others, we must learn to listen more than we speak. Don’t take offense, don’t try to explain how you are different, simply sit down and listen. Spend time digesting information given, and learn to consider how others feel in a given situation.
