Manly Men
Seventy-four percent of the women passengers survived the [Titanic], while 80 percent of the men perished. Why? Because the men followed the principle “women and children first.”
I read this book review of Masculinity, a book by Harvey Mansfield (link from Arts and Letters Daily), and was surprised at how not offended I was. Had I been on the Titanic with my two kids, I would not have been gallant; I would have taken a seat on a lifeboat, and appreciated those who let me. Titanic example aside, I think Mansfield’s argument for masculinity as presented in the review is a compelling one. Yes, I’m certain that there are countless individuals who don’t conform to the norm. But I bet they don’t make a dent in the majority who do. I gave up the illusion a long time ago that my husband would care as much about the house as I do. And one of the main reasons I consider schooling my children myself is that I don’t see conventional schools that can accomodate the energy of boys. (Hey, I can barely do so most days.) I especially like Mansfield’s idea of a public/private split. That publicly, we strive for equality in the sexes, but at home we embrace what differences come naturally. Like Nietzsche, whom Mansfield quotes, the book sounds like it is problematic, and its arguments dangerous in the wrong hands. Yet his un-PC arguments sound so well-grounded and reasonable that this feminist was provoked without being pissed off.