Toxic, aggressive masculine energy is the result of society treating boys and men in a certain way.
Traditionally, the playful boy inside a man is gradually suppressed and disciplined by his parents and by society. The demands placed upon him to ‘become a man’ often mean that a boy has to push away his sensitivity, as well as his adventurous, provocative part, in order to become a responsible adult. The responsibility asked of him is often understood in terms of serving his country, religion and family.
The adventurous boy, keen on exploring the new and unknown, gets subdued and this causes deep pain, because the boy essentially holds the key to the man’s soul, his individuality. Being disconnected from your true inspiration causes sadness, anger, and eventually depression and aggression.
Toxic masculinity arises when masculinity is forced into boxes and roles that kill the boy and force a man to enslave himself: by serving the nation, the family, the community, he is forced to deny his individual freedom, and sadly, his ability to express his unique soul’s gifts in this world.
Eventually, the man may start to glorify the very boxes that imprison him. He may become fanatically nationalist, racist, religious or sexist. His behavior may then become explicitly aggressive and destructive, as we see happening now in the war in Ukraine.
- Jeshua and Pamela Kribbe
