Blog #3.a "Prove me wrong"

In my Blog #3, I used Paul Theroux’s style to explain my disagreement about the way he presented his article “The Male Myth”. His argument is not entirely supported by evidence, but just personal opinion.

In the beginning of my blog #3 I called out that I sensed anger and confusedness about masculinity in Paul Theroux’s article “The Male Myth”.  I referred to his anger because he stated “even the expression “be a man!” strike me as an insult”. According to the dictionary anger is a strong feeling of displeasure aroused by wrong wrath, so it is said that anger is also related to resentment. Resentment is the feeling of displeasure or indignation at some act, remark, person, etc., regarded as causing injury, insult or emotional damage. Speaking in psychological terms resentment is a sense of hostility towards the person who we know is the cause of our frustration. This terminology was introduced by the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard in the 1840’s. Due to the resentment of Theroux towards men I could conclude that in his childhood he suffered a traumatic event so strong that built his behavior, something so strong such as a rape. The MaleSurvivor 2007 website stated “A male rape victim usually feels that he has totally lost control over even the insides of his own body, resulting in feelings of utter vulnerability and powerlessness. Control and power become key psychological issues for rape survivors. These issues are heightened for men who are brought up to expect to be able to defend themselves against attacks and who consider total helplessness incompatible with masculinity (and thus intolerable)”,this was brought up after investigations and treatment of raped prisoners; in shorter words raped males start feeling  less masculine with time. Paul Theroux felt less masculine when he stated “I found it impossible to admit to myself that I wanted to be writer…because being a writer was incompatible with being a man” which it enforced my point that he maybe suffered a traumatic event such as a rape that made him feel less masculine, but also reinforce my view of his confusedness about his masculinity and masculinity itself.  He seems masculinity very cruel like if masculinity means conquest; He proclaims “Money is masculinity”. It is true that men make more money than women but it is not because men are cruel and very “machos” to let women get higher positions in work environments but is just that women have other priorities in life not just money like a man does. In the article “Are women earning more than men?” by Warren Farrell explained “A 2001 survey of business owners with M.B.A.s conducted by the Rochester Institute of Technology found that money was the primary motivator for only 29% of women, versus 76% of men. Women prioritized flexibility, fulfillment, autonomy and safety”. Paul Theroux statement was right, but wrong proven. His immatureness in writing statements that doesn’t have any fundament, just personal opinions reflected his anxiety to open his chest out. He could prove his personal opinions but he just throws random sophisticated words around expecting that everyone else agree with his thoughts. Also his confusedness about his sexuality turned out to be dragged by maybe a lack of masculinity,resentment towards men and his burden insecurity.