We are living in very confusing times. Where we struggle to identify with what it means to actually be a woman or a man in the world today. There are huge expectations about how both sexes should behave, that for some it means letting go of who they are.
Men are suddenly frowned upon for being too masculine. Instead they are expected to sit somewhere in between being masculine and feminine. Don't get me wrong, I am all for people being in touch with both sides of themselves. Life is all about being in balance.
But I find it really difficult to watch the way in which the world is heading, where men and women are being bombarded with propaganda about how they should act, instead of being allowed to discover who they are and feel comfortable with the person they have become.
To really embrace, the wonderful natural diversity within our society. Natural meaning, what is natural for each person, without the influence of the media, dictating what is acceptable and what is not.
We hear the term, Toxic Masculinity, a lot now and for sure, there are some qualities that men may have, that are toxic. But that goes for both genders. I believe, that it is a term that is being so over used, that it is discrediting the positive side of what it means to be masculine. There is nothing wrong with being masculine, we need the masculine energy.
But place such a negative word before it and it effects the whole way, in which masculinity is perceived.
Can you imagine if people began to talk about Toxic Femininity, just as frequently, as they do about Toxic Masculinity. The way I see it, is that society has forced women to appear stronger and men weaker.
There is nothing wrong with being a strong Woman, I like to think of myself as one. But when you are being molded by the visions of others, you learn to disconnect from who you are. Suddenly women who choose to stay at home and raise their children, were frowned upon, because women had worked so hard to be recognized as equals in the workplace.
But to me, parenthood is the most important job that you can do. And yet we are encouraged to place that responsibility into the hands of others. Many may not agree with me and that is fine, I am after all, merely trying to highlight how different we all are and how unrealistic it is to expect us all to behave in certain ways. Which is really taking us away from what it means to live authentically.
This week in the Weekend Community @galenkp, asked five very interesting questions. This is my response to the following question...
I want to change society...
If you could change one thing about society, other than politically, what would you change and why? What would that change mean to you or others now and in the future, how would it impact life and do you feel it would be a lasting change?
As a mother, I want my girls to grow up in a world, where everyone has the freedom to discover who they are, without any outside influences. Where the qualities they possess, are celebrated, instead of becoming labels.
I am all about self discovery and acceptance. Everyone has the right to be who they are meant to be, to be able to express their desires and create the life that speaks to them. I can see that in some ways we have come along way when it comes to accepting others. But the expectations has increased and amount of propaganda has of course increased with it.
We have been moving further and further away from a more natural way of life,that in itself comes with consequences. If we can not connect with ourselves any longer, how can we ever be able to identify with who we are.
Identity is everything, it should not be complicated or confusing and yet in this day and age it has. There was a time, when things were simpler in life, where we each just gone on with things and done what was needed to survive and thrive.
But now our heads are full of information, of opinions, and expectations. These things weight us down and disconnect us from our own inner knowing, from our intuitive self. Now we look for conformation from others, instead of seeking it from within.
So I wish for simpler times, where we are given the time to explore and discover, the freedom to choose who we are, without the expectations and influence from others, who think they know who we should be! So that each and everyone of us, are empowered.
The term of toxic masculinity, amongst many others, is something I can't stand anymore!
I wish we stopped labeling each other and started FEELING how different and similar at the same time we all are.
Hello @trucklife-family
Oh my how I agree with this wholeheartedly! It is ridiculous in my opinion how much sexism is being used to completely change the way both sexes are viewed and it's being wielded as a weapon.
Just a few days ago, I saw an advert for women who menstruate being labelled as "Bleeders" and I was thinking how absolutely insensitive that is - people are not even thought of as individuals or people anymore, but merely by the opportunity they present to spend money on a product for a natural state that close to half of the population have every month.
I am very against the vilification of gender for the sake of pushing an agenda and it's going to lead to massive problems down the road - the generations that we are raising now are going to be living in very confusing times.
I agree to this I would love to see a change on this.
We all have freedom to self discovery.
This is thoughtful thank you for sharing.
Now we look for conformation from others, instead of seeking it from within — you hit the nail on the head on this one . The society has moulded one to seek confirmation as well as validation from others before we can actually be ourselves which in the actual fact isn’t real and genuine . The social media won’t even help matters in this case, with different standards being set here and there which people feel is the way one should live life .
Boom 💥 I appreciate you sharing your wisbombs sista! So tired of the labels too. I wish we were more like certain native cultures who made space for a whole spectrum of unique “gender” and “sexual” differences. I feel blessed to have friends and family who are open and supportive of gender fluidity. ❤️
I hate the direction the world is going as well. As soon as life gets a little bit hard , it's mental health as well so the youth of today are disappointed as they go from their 20's to their 30's. It's terrible.
Your article reminded me one of a video I have subbed before about "When you are human you are not a woman or man". You are the world, and the world is you!
Oh this sings to my soul! We have young people who see are walking around every day with a phone in their hand, going from one social media app to another. They see these "celebrities" changing themselves, losing weight at a rapid pace, and wearing only "the finer things in life". These people have so much money and they use it for pure evil. We have young people who strive so hard to receive over a thousand followers on their Instagram or TikTok accounts and with that they hope to have over a hundred likes on their photos, and when this doesn't happen they believe they failed at life. When this happens; depression, anxiety, and panic erupt like clouds who have held water in for to long and the rain comes down in buckets.
We live in a time where children are being influenced by outsiders and they are trying to become like the newest TikTok star or the actor they admire.
When I was growing up I was in the beginning of this social media craze. I had MySpace and Aim Instant Messenger which was enough to throw me into years of allowing outside influences to dictate who I was which, in turn, caused many years of anxiety and panic attacks, never being truly happy, and always wanting something better. I never truly knew myself or loved myself for that matter.
I cannot even imagine being a young child or teenager these days. The amount of pressure they must feel on a daily basis is unfathomable. From Facebook to Instagram to TikTok to SnapChat and I'm sure there are more that I am unaware of. It's to much for the human mind to handle especially young children who can be very easily influenced.
Raising a daughter in times like today can be scary, but moving to the mountains and teaching her our family values, as well as limiting any social media access in the future is mine and my husband's goal.
It's a scary time when we have educators and doctors who promote ideologies that are, in our eyes, completely and utterly absurd. We have people we don't even know trying to push their agenda on our children, but with that being said, I have been seeing more and more parents coming out against all this and going back to the simpler times. Homeschooling and homesteading. All we can do as parents, is continue to instill our core values into our sons and daughters and allow our life experiences to guide some tough conversations that may have to be had.
Your post was inspiring, thank you!