Men's Liberation
This community is first and foremost a feminist community for men and masc people, but it is also a place to talk about men’s issues with a particular focus on intersectionality.
Rules
Everybody is welcome, but this is primarily a space for men and masc people
Non-masculine perspectives are incredibly important in making sure that the lived experiences of others are present in discussions on masculinity, but please remember that this is a space to discuss issues pertaining to men and masc individuals. Be kind, open-minded, and take care that you aren't talking over men expressing their own lived experiences.
Be productive
Be proactive in forming a productive discussion. Constructive criticism of our community is fine, but if you mainly criticize feminism or other people's efforts to solve gender issues, your post/comment will be removed.
Keep the following guidelines in mind when posting:
- Build upon the OP
- Discuss concepts rather than semantics
- No low effort comments
- No personal attacks
Assume good faith
Do not call other submitters' personal experiences into question.
No bigotry
Slurs, hate speech, and negative stereotyping towards marginalized groups will not be tolerated.
No brigading
Do not participate if you have been linked to this discussion from elsewhere. Similarly, links to elsewhere on the threadiverse must promote constructive discussion of men’s issues.
Recommended Reading
- The Will To Change: Men, Masculinity, And Love by bell hooks
- Politics of Masculinities: Men in Movements by Michael Messner
Related Communities
!feminism@beehaw.org
!askmen@lemmy.world
!mensmentalhealth@lemmy.world
view the rest of the comments
I really appreciate that perspective. I've heard similar concepts, but I've never really heard it quite that eloquently or explored. I think my main issue is just that I don't see a point. It's not that I am particularly unhappy with myself beyond this "something" that I've convinced myself I must have. In fact I'm reasonably proud of who I've become, and reasonably shameful at what continued failings I do have. I'm fully capable of doing everything a normal person would do, I just get little to no fulfilment from doing most of my hobbies without a partner. I'm fine with living by myself but if it were that way forever, i'd prefer to just die now. A life devoid of anyone to share it with just seems like an empty life.
I think this might be the crux of the issue though, is that I don't know how to get rid of this sense that I've before been told is desperation. Like, am I supposed to just not want a relationship? Is that what it takes to get my goal, to give up on it? That's pretty much where I'm at... but it's more unfulfilling than ever. I try to just be myself, it's not like im harassing people. In fact, I have a suspicion that I'm coming off disinterested in women in person because im scared of coming off as overly interested. I don't know what level of interest is expected of me and there's no manual. I try to put myself in others shoes and see what I'd want, and I'd desperately love it if someone my age were to approach me in pretty much any manner, but I understand that there's a gender and cultural dynamic at play here thats seemingly impossible to fully grasp as a male. I also can't even imagine what social cues could indicate the difference between polite interest and genuine interest. When people compliment me, i generally compliment them back. Should I pursue further personal interaction? I'm having difficulty focusing right now but ill probably return to this later
You know what did it for me? Actually being in a relationship, once upon a time. It was short, it was bad, the rose-coloured glasses came off. Socierty and media portray being in a relationship as a happy conclusion, but more more often than not, it isn't. How many people have dated more than one boy/girlfriend before they married, and then how many of those marriages end in divorce? How many not-divorced marriages are miserable and unhappy? A lot. Being single is way, way better than being with the wrong person, and there are a lot of wrong people out there.
Now, wrong person doesn't mean bad person, it can just mean incompatible because you want different things, have different values, etc. (Of course, there are actually bad people, too.)
I prefer to live my life embracing the freedoms of singleness. I can come and go whenever I want without having to account to anyone. I only have to consider me when making job and career choices. Finances and obligations are freer. I took a year off work and went away to work on my own self-development; I couldn't have done that if I had a partner, and certainly not if I had kids. Maybe you would prefer to exchange the freedoms for a partner, and I acknowledge that. But I am saying appreciate and make the best of the situation you're in now instead of spending the energy wishing for it to be different.
I'm also absolutely not against relationships or marriage in any way. I'm just being realistic about the fact it's not all rainbows and roses, and there are rainbows and roses to singleness, to.