indignation (or "poorly-constructed rant") into the current topic du jour: the male crisis.
I've been hearing (or reading, rather) a lot lately about men and boys in crisis. They have crappy test scores, chick-lit is all the rage, there are too many hair-care products, etc. Some individuals have "risen up" against this terrible wussification of our culture to fight back. I guess. The problem is, they're fighting back against a nonexistent threat.
Take today's WP article on how boys' test scores aren't really lagging. Add to that the rise in "frat lit" as a response to chick lit, and you have a weird juxtaposition: everybody's crying about males doing badly while also saying males need to stop crying about everything and man up.
I agree with the second part. But that's not a male- or female-specific problem, people just need to learn to differentiate between actual problems (lost your job, got hit by a car, got cancer) and perceived problems (broke up with boyfriend of 3 weeks; didn't get to go to baseball game last night; gender doing slightly less well in mathematics exams).
My point is this: there are many things in the world you can't just "walk off". These things include African genocide, middle east conflict, mass tort litigation, and ice cream headaches. If there's anything "wussier" about society today, it's that both genders often fail to realize that you don't actually deserve to have happiness handed to you on a silver platter. When things go bad, or wrong, or poorly, suck it up and stop complaining about how unfair it all.* It's not unfair, it's life. It's up and down. You are no more inherently deserving of the ups than you are of the downs.
* I realize it's super-funny to my family that I of all people am now
claiming that life isn't fair. But I only mean you have to MAKE it
fair, you can't just sit around and wait for it to naturally exist
that way.
UPDATE: Hyperlinks that don't hyperlink 1, blogging by email 0.
3 comments:
Thank you son ! I guess there is a lot to say about a persons development.. that some of it is environment.. but a lot is genetics !! You sound like your grandfather Joe !!
When I cut my knee open and blood was gushing everywhere from a wound I still have, dad said "walk it off." Therefore, it can be concluded that I heartily agree. As long as no one is dead, of course :)
You always said life should be fair, and we always told you to go be a Supreme Court Justice and make things fair....you're well on your way!
Love you! Ma
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