By: Priscilla Wainwright
You know
how these work. You are presented with
a word, and you write down the first word or words that come to mind.
Well, here
we go. Get a slip of paper and jot down
the first 5 words that come to mind for this word: MASCULINE. Please do it before reading further.
Got you
list? Put it aside or turn the paper
over. Now write down the first 5 words
that come to mind for: FEMININE. Please do it now.
Now compare
your lists. I’d bet that the words you
chose for “Masculine” were words that reflected strength, such as “strong”,
“tough”, “achiever”, etc.
Now…what
did you come up with for “Feminine”?
Are your words of equal strength or cultural “worth” to those you wrote
for “Masculine”? Or, were they “weaker”
or of less cultural worth? Words like
“weak”, “emotional”, irrational”, “changeable”, etc.
My research
suggests men typically come up with strong-sounding words for “Masculine”, and
weaker-sounding words for “Feminine”.
How about
women? Sadly, many, if not most, women
do the same.
POISONED BY THE PATRIARCHY
Our words
reflect our attitudes. The patriarchy
devalues women and elevates men. Men
are touted as the superior beings, and we women are viewed as lesser.
In the
musical, My Fair Lady, Henry Higgins sang, “Women are irrational: That’s all there is to that. Their heads are full of cotton, hay and
rags”. While Henry overdoes it, he
reflects the traditional patriarchal attitude:
masculine qualities are viewed as stronger, and therefore better, more
desirable. Women’s qualities are too
often seen as deficiencies, weaker, or less than, or even undesirable.
To the
degree we elevate one gender over the other, we have been poisoned by the patriarchy. This is true even if we value women higher
than men. We have been poisoned and
we’re reacting.
This can
all be very subtle. The words you chose
themselves for “feminine” may not be weaker, but the characteristics you named
may be of less “social value”.
How do you
rate women as a gender relative to males?
You may feel great about yourself, but consider the social value you put
on women/femininity as a whole. Are the
genders truly equal in your mind?
If not, I beg you to rethink.
You really can’t be fully empowered as a woman if you hold men to
be of more value.
Think about
it! Both genders need to wash such
poison out of our blood.
HERE"S A GREAT EMPOWERMENT OPPORTUNITY ! ...........
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She will be hosting 24 live calls with 24 leaders in empowerment, spiritual life, entrepreneurship, &c.
Plus there will be thousands of dollars wort of free bonuses offered by her guests. And if you miss a call, you can catch the replay. These speakers will be WONDERFUL. I caught Series 1, and benefitted greatly. You'll love it! Check it out at http://bit.ly?1635M3b
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Have a Blessed Day
Pris
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