The Baneful Indoctrination
The path we chose to embark upon that was destined for “success” led to our great downfall – all for the sake of masculinity. Broken, we ask ourselves: “What does it really mean to be a man?”
For years now we’ve been lectured countlessly by multiple male figures that a man is someone who doesn’t bleed, someone who embodies the spirit of stoicism. At a young age we are fed these statements all at once, not given an opportunity to contest or debate whether this definition is true or false. We are deceived into believing that these concepts are true and that they could aid us in achieving the desired life we all chase towards. Indoctrinated, we are blinded to our reality and find ourselves falling down a path of destruction towards others and most importantly ourselves. When we do land at the bottom of the rubble and destruction, we attempt to rebuild ourselves, but realize that we’re too shattered to even make a piece of what we were prior. The path we chose to embark upon that was destined for “success” led to our great downfall – all for the sake of masculinity. Broken, we ask ourselves: “What does it really mean to be a man?”
In the world we live in it is common for young boys to become influenced by figures who claim to know the definition of masculinity when in reality they’re misconceived. This misconception later indoctrinates the youth and sets them upwards on a path of disparity and adversity, which then exposes them to severe mental health conflicts which are suppressed in the name of masculinity. Inevitably this act of suppression negatively changes their behavior and perception towards the world. Later, the now-older youth become that same negative influence who claims to know the definition of masculinity and then seeks to indoctrinate the current youth.
This misconception of masculinity creates a cycle of toxicity in our society, indoctrinating the vulnerable youth upon toxic masculinity rather than the true definition of masculinity. This creates, as I would call it, The Baneful Indoctrination.
In this article I will discuss The Baneful Indoctrination, its origin, and its hold on our society today. The topic will be broken down into 3 chapters to provide a better understanding of how exactly The Baneful Indoctrination still lurks in our society and its promotion of toxic masculinity.
Chapter 1 : The Foreign Yet Trusting Hand
We can agree that we’ve used social media to some extent. Whether it could be to get some laughs or to get looped in the current talk-upon topic. During your social media dive you could see a bunch of things, some of which could be life tips like: Healthy food to eat, or hygienic tips to achieve your ideal celebrity look or just to not experience that deathly smell again. But, one thing you may stumble upon is a jacked or rich man surrounded by bikini topped glamorous girls, flexing his collection of flashy, expensive cars that you’ve dreamt of while saying that “You’re not manly enough” so that he can teach you how to be more masculine – a top G.
Now, as a man after watching that video, you might find yourself drowning in the feeling of envy and motivation. You might feel envious at how that man owns everything you’ve ever dreamt of, and motivation to achieve that state in your life. You might attempt to gasp for air, trying to clear your mind as the feeling pesters you like flies on top of the current issues you deal with. Trapped with no way to escape, you might even listen to the rich scumbag as a form of escape, as an anodyne to the stresses in your life. Anything to escape the pain.
The example I’ve described above is one of the common forms in which young men are being hooked and caught in The Baneful Indoctrination cycle and proceed to live a life of promoting toxic masculine traits that affect the quality of life towards others and the quality of their mental health as well, contributing to the cycle of toxicity.
Chapter 2: The Repercussions of Counterfeit Success
The promotion of toxic masculinity causes more fault lines in our society and separates us rather than unite us. Young men are taught to adopt faulty concepts all for the sake of Masculinity to achieve some form of acknowledgement from their counterpart or even grasp the essence of being rich. According to a study in the Journal of Counseling Psychology, 67% of men adhere to traditional masculinity norms. And, with the current influx in toxic masculinity promoters, we could expect this percentage to perpetually rise in the following years. This influx doesn’t only divide the people but degrades the image of women and men in general. It also severely affects the mental health of Man.
There are many well-known figures that promote faulty masculine concepts online under the sake of stoicism or masculinity, but one prominent figure is Andew Tate. He’s a controversial influencer that advocates for male supremacy and celebrates violence against women. Andrew Tate has a fan base of 4 million supporters, who mainly consist of the young male population particularly between the ages of 14-25.
Andrew Tates influence on the young male population is powerful, Business insiders saying “Andrew Tate's influence is spreading into homes and classrooms. Boys as young as 11 are quoting Tate and praising him as their god.” This sighting has already become a huge conflict as it’s becoming a large catalyst to the Baneful Indoctrination Cycle, creating a new generation of broken men who claim to know the definition of success and masculinity. It contributes to the already present division in our society.
The young male population, whose minds aren’t fully developed to decipher which influences are negative or positive would willingly adhere to this and catch on to it, believing it would lead them towards a path of success, which in reality is false.
Following the path of toxic masculinity would severely degrade your mental health, as men are morally forced to suppress their emotions as it would make them appear inferior. The act of suppressing your emotion due to gender-defining thoughts would lead to you basically suffering in silence from your pride being in the way of you actually receiving help. An article in Pyscom.net by Henry A. Montero states “a young person learns to avoid expressing their real feelings and begins to bottle up sadness. Over time, such behavior can lead to a dysfunctional emotional expression and ultimately, depression.” Simply listening and adhering to toxic masculinity would lead to you feeling empty and helpless at the end of the road, as you believe it would be cowardly or weak to express a natural trait in life.
Chapter 3: The True Definition of Man
With there being so many influencers flexing their expensive collection of cars and having women around them like a necklace promoting what they claim as positive masculinity when in reality it's the opposite; here is the proper definition of masculinity and stoicism.
True masculinity is: a man who embraces responsibility and loves, honors, protects, and provides for his family and loved ones, including themselves. This simply means that showing off your assets to others and dating as many women as possible won’t define your masculinity, it would rather define the cracks to your character and morality, hence making you the broken man you swore to avoid. Stoicism, a concept which many misconceive as handling pain and containing your feelings, is in reality the act of self awareness, knowing what you can control (such as your thoughts and self) while still being aware of things that aren’t in your control (life and nature). In our life, especially in modern times, we are exposed to a series of pains and scars, scars that cut deep and scars that strengthen our character. While it is true that we can contain our emotions and live life emotionless, would that really be the definition of life? To live life you must endure pain and adapt to it in healthy manners, not by containing it. Because eventually if you contain pressure for too long, after a while it will combust, therefore destroying the legacy you worked so hard for. In summary: In order to win you must also know the art of losing.