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Is Male Power A Myth?
Warren Farrell, the author of "The Myth of Male Power" and "Why Men Are the Way They Are" was in Santa Barbara recently to teach a weekend workshop for Adult Education. I was thrilled to meet Warren because he has been a hero for many years. Basically, The Myth of Male Power describes how men actually are more powerless than women because, overall, in all aspects of their lives, they have fewer choices. He says because they are taught not to express their emotions they are more shut down and live less fully. Because they have no healthy outlet for stress, they live less healthy and less long. Because they are only allowed to be intimate via sex, they are considered bad and wrong for wanting sex, when more than anything, they crave closeness.
An interesting part of the workshop was when the men were invited to enter a "beauty contest." The were given a taste of the beauty contest that women enter every day of their lives. Even an eighty year old woman is judged by her appearance. The women sat according to their income so they could better understand what men go through and those in the lowest income were not allowed to participate. continued
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"At least two times this week, interact with a man, any man, and be aware of his soft, protected heart. Notice how this makes you feel about him. Focus on his masculine qualities, but, at the same time, remember what society has done to shut him down." 