…In his seminal work, Manhood in the Making, the anthropologist David Gilmore showed that disparate societies that have almost nothing in common and whose cultures vary wildly still maintain an almost universal notion of masculinity; they teach it to young boys by requiring them to demonstrate both their ability to unleash their aggression (in hunting, say, or fighting enemies) and their capacity for stoicism in the face of great danger and pain. Our therapeutic age seems to have dissolved this timeless tradition, turning men in particular not only into emotional wrecks but also into campy figures who believe that the only way to signal their worth is by having some sort of very public and very emotional meltdown for others to admire. Instead of engaging in battle—of ideas if not of fists—they demand the other side be silenced. Instead of taking pride in remaining rational, calm, and ready, they pursue the theatrics of emotionalism, knowing well that no other currency matters. READ MORE