“The first act of violence that patriarchy demands of males is not violence toward women. Instead patriarchy demands of all males that they engage in acts of psychic self-mutilation, that they kill off the emotional parts of themselves. If an individual is not successful in emotionally crippling himself, he can count on patriarchal men to enact rituals of power that will assault his self-esteem.”
That bell hooks quote was the one that made me realize that feminism wasn’t just about bringing women into equality with men, but about protecting everyone from the violence of patriarchy.
How so? Do you think that women are generally violent towards their children? Isn’t that in direct opposition to how women are often portrayed?
I don’t believe the behaviour itself stems from patriarchy, I think it is just human behaviour. That’s the bit that feels kind of convoluted. But I understand that to the true believer, this is a matter of faith, so I’m not here to change anybody’s mind.
This is not a matter of faith lol. I am no zealot.
I’m curious as to how you understand human nature, though.