[MD] Social level for humans only

[John Carl]

Marsha,



> Men do not experience what is like to be a woman(mother) from a biological
> point-of-view, nor do they know the experience of being socialized as a
> woman(mother).


Right.  And likewise, women don't understand what it is like to be a man
from a biological/social point of view.  But I read a book by a girl who
dressed like a boy and interacted as male for a year and wrote about it and
at the end of the year she was just about suicidal.  Men don't get the same
kinds of social affirmation and care as women.  No woman can fully
understand the angst and agony of widespread prejudice against males.



 It seems to me that restricted intellectual patterns have been built to
> define 'women' and than believed to be true.  I sense it as psychological
> foot-binding.
>
>
Perhaps.  But what we men suffer is a sort of "social foot-binding" that
goes even deeper than mere intellect.  Since the affairs of the heart are
more immediately real to us than the affairs of the head.



> What would women be like if their native intelligence was allowed to
> develop freely?  I don't know.  I don't blame "men", but suggest that the
> Church of Religion and the Church of Reason, both based on masculine
> principles/power, have been responsible for the distortion.  Why?  Maybe
> fear, or power, or who knows?
>

Perhaps resentment over the fact that when it comes down to it, women hold
the real power in society.  Men usually make their competitive climb up the
ladder of social success, for one reason - and that's to attract a mate.



>
> My question might be how do women recover what is their unique power?



My answer is they recover their power by ceasing to repress and deny it.
Most of the "feminist" movement seemed to me to be all about the
masculinazation of females.  It should have been called the "masculinist"
movement, for it took the dominating masculine ideals and transferred them
to the realm of the feminine.  Big mistake, imo.



> See this is where my inquiry remains open.  I have no easy solution and
> resent being tossed easy and distorted cliches.



You and me both, Marsha.  I resent the way men are objectified and
misunderstood by women, treated as walking paychecks, cannon fodder... I'm
sure you've heard this before.  My one real complaint about women vs men, is
that so often it seems like women don't question their own point of view, AS
a point of view, but assume its THE point of view.  Where men seem to be
able to express more open-mindedness and understanding of difference.



>  This may not represent something that is a pressing issue for you.  It is
> for me, and maybe like I understand the MoQ to be a bridge between the East
> and West, I wonder if the MoQ might also be a bridge between the masculine
> and the feminine.  I don't see them as the same; women haven't fared better
> in the East.
>
>
Good.  I agree completely.  I think the innate duality of our species cries
out for reconciliation.  In fact, I'd say from time immemorial it's been
THHEEEE problem.  And also corresponding somewhat to the romantic/classic
nature of intellect - the whole Yin/Yang thing.

Take care,

John