How can we reconcile men's humanity with their natural inclination to rape?

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[–][deleted] 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun -  (9 children)

If men’s lower self has been winning for all of history, then what do we make of that? I don’t know if I can see them as “higher” selves who have value the same way I normally see human beings, despite the lower and higher selves “coexisting” (do they really?). Men definitely don’t reconcile our humanity, as you said. But we’re not men and we usually view other people as fully human. I’m just finding it harder and harder to do that with men even while knowing they are human. If their rape urges, violence, and domination keeps winning over all else then they are not evolved enough. It’s fucked up.

[–]onemoredaydream 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (8 children)

The higher self is not exclusive to men or women, the "higher self" is our "humanity", it is compassion, altruism, goodwill, wisdom. At least, that is my argument.

The "lower self" is selfishness, gluttony, territorialism/possessiveness, sadism, anger, fear, things that are based in the desires that benefit only you rather than desires for that which benefit all.

I personally see all of human life and existence as being a part of this struggle. We are born into it and live it every day. The "higher" and "lower" selves coexist within us and both are trying to drive the car, so to speak. Our choices that we make daily in our attitudes towards ourselves and others, reflect spiritual power that we give to either of those selves. These choices make up the "evolution" that you're speaking of, and I believe it can happen in either direction.

I'm a big believer in the concept of "power corrupts", and try to remember that if someone is given the opportunity to transgress, they are more likely to. I like the Jenny Holzer truism, "Abuse of power should come as no surprise." It's better to assume that someone will fail in their fight against selfish desire, and protect yourself from that eventuality, than to trust them to always have their higher self prevail and make yourself vulnerable.

[–][deleted] 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (7 children)

I personally see all of human life and existence as being a part of this struggle.

Well, take this a bit further. Men struggle differently from women because women are by large not rapists, which brings me to this create this topic. Your take isn't necessarily wrong, it just doesn't answer my question.

Edit:

power corrupts

I tend to think those in power were already 'corrupt'.

[–]onemoredaydream 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

Yes, they do struggle differently.

I'm not sure what your question was. Was it "how can we see the good in men when they do so much bad"?

[–][deleted] 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

More like the bad outweighs the good because they are oppressors by nature. So how do we live side by side with them if they are obviously not as evolved as women? Doesn’t it make more sense to treat them as less than because they frequently display shit behavior? I’m not sure how to view them at this point. Large scale separatism doesn’t seem to be in the works anytime soon so we’re sort of “stuck” with them. I don’t like them but they make up half the world population and they are people at the end of the day.

Hard to put into words. I hope this cleared it up a bit.

[–]onemoredaydream 6 insightful - 2 fun6 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

So how do we live side by side with them if they are obviously not as evolved as women?

Besides the fact that I'm not sure something like that can be meaningfully quantified, my personal strategy has been to focus on getting an education that will permit me to comfortably support myself on one income. I don't plan on marrying a man, because I dislike how so many people/our culture at large begin to assume that he is in charge. I would much rather be alone than be assumed subordinate.

Other than that, I do my best to be cordial and fair to everyone in my life. I try not to make any assumptions about people without cause... however as I mentioned previously, I don't assume that men will behave themselves, and therefore don't make myself vulnerable to them. My ideal outcome in life will be to achieve a level of independence, while still being within society, by remaining unmarried and in charge of my own finances, and I'm hoping that as I achieve that I can meet and network with other women who are the same. I'm hoping me and my friends can be somewhat separate from the "mainstream" without having to live out in the woods alone, lol.

Although, living out in the country on some land also greatly appeals to me. There's a lot of freedom in owning your own land, especially in America - property owner's rights are very robust.

[–][deleted] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Thank you, this definitely answers it. And I think I'm in agreement with you.

I don't assume that men will behave themselves, and therefore don't make myself vulnerable to them.

This was key for me.

[–]tuesday 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

see my comment above. it's now possible to reproduce VERY healthy girl babies without sperm. Since the fetus is getting two sets of XX, there is no chance of a boy being conceived, and because the fetus has four options for taking genetic material, there is less chance of birth defects.

[–]tuesday 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I'm not sure what your question was. Was it "how can we see the good in men when they do so much bad"?

well, what i struggle with is more like, "what is the point of continuing to believe that men (as a class) will ever evolve enough to stop wanting to oppress women (as a class) when the harm they do actually does outweigh the good that they do?"

In my analysis, it is a GIVEN that they do more harm then good. Considering that everything men could do (invent things, maintain infrastructure etc) women can also do. And since there is now a way to reproduce babies without sperm (i forget what that process is called, but it takes two different eggs so different DNA and then combines them, it's a very simple procedure and the babies have LESS birth defects!) why exactly should women continue to gestate and birth our own oppressors?

[–]Nemesis_Noire 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

cloning or parthenogenesis. also known in ancient history as "virgin birth".