Masculinity under fire
Karen Bontrager
Founder Crisis to Courage for Men I Podcast | 16-24 | ★ Money & Thought Leader | TBRI Trauma Clinician | LMHCA Therapist | ACC Trauma Coach | No Fear in Love Race President | Coaching | Scholar | Fierce Men’s Advocate
Boys are under fire.
Men are under fire.
Masculinity is under fire.
In a recent LI post, I made this above assertion. Some applauded my position, others were a bit curious, and a few pushed back. For those unaware, masculinity is under fire in every direction; with this powerful undercurrent now, destabilizing life as we know it.
What do I mean?
Anti-male messages have gradually seeped into mainstream culture. For many decades, television has portrayed men as bumbling idiots, or those who run quickly away from responsibility. On the big screen, male super heroes are laden with weakness, while a female heroine saves the day; one of my LI connections claimed. Social media also has similar biases. When a man dares to express his dissent, he is quickly labeled as a racist/narcissistic, or is blatantly dismissed/chastised for even having an opinion, not in agreement with the majority.
Over time, this negative trajectory; moving slowly as an unsuspecting glacier, has subtly weakened the fella himself, who is grossly unaware how an anti-male movement infiltrated his own brain. Simultaneously, the female population is being inundated with 24/7 programming to disdain anything masculine: such as publicly railing on guys, under the guise of toxic masculinity.
All of society's ills are then heavily placed on those shoulders of the flawed, ignorant, and (x) man, which is the negative direction our world is traveling in, with masculinity being under fire. Sadly, even the strongest man is buckling under this relentless pressure. Therefore, it is critically important for strong courageous men to rise up against this negative tide.
Thank you for reading.
Your thoughts are very appreciated.
Author’s Bio
Karen Bontrager helps 16-24-year-old men, and fellas, 25+ stuck there due to complex trauma, make permanent shifts in their behavior from merely surviving in life to thriving through transparent coaching/counseling in one-on-one conversations and in group work, and through topic sensitive trauma-informed workshops in a program called, “From Crisis to Courage.” With this ontological approach, I partner with my clients to discover their essence, (aka highest and best self) by powerfully reflecting and listening to them. My clients quickly learn how to generate self-awareness and to voice their own relationship needs in a clear, constructive way by learning key coaching techniques/evidenced based counseling approaches/tools to work past their traumatic events and addictions to move forward. The clients are then equipped to develop healthy relationships with key relationships: parents/siblings/friends, and with intimate dating partners because they have learned how to proactively use their voice.
She does a weekly Relationships Matter Monday LI article/poem/commentary for 16-24-year-old men and fellas, 25+, stuck there due to trauma, is a frequent contributor here, and has a bi-monthly podcast called Crisis to Courage to give gentlemen an honorable platform for learning how to use their voices in a way which gets respected, instead of turning to the old standbys: anger, isolation, and numbing behavior, so they can be the men they were made, formed, and created to be.
Crisis to Courage Podcast for Men Links below:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1130105/listings
https://open.spotify.com/show/0hBtQMFu6eOoHAJBZVRgiQ
https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xMTMwMTA1LnJzcw==
https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/3017583
https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/crisis-to-courage-podcast-a-pl-1258925
https://www.deezer.com/us/show/1372142
https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/crisis-to-courage-podcast-a-platform-for-udrRN3OmV9o/
Are you a man, 16-24, or more mature, 25+ which feels stuck mentally, and is not able to move forward due to a traumatic past, which shows up as anger, isolation, or various numbing behaviors, and needs support? Or, do you feel something gets in the way emotionally from you loving self, others, or having the life of your dreams, but are not sure what? Please DM me on Linked In for an opportunity to talk.
Emmy-Nominated TV, Video & Event Director | Messaging Strategist | Author, “The 7 Disciplines of Relationship Marketing” | Leadership and Near Death Experience (NDE) Keynote Speaker ?? ?? ??
3 年I feel very fortunate that I had some incredible mentors in my life, my mother probably being the most influential. She made me confident (despite my fathers objections) about who I am and did not embrace the idea of male-female stereotypes but instead encouraged me to pursue my passions and discover who I am Karen Bontrager
forensics & criminalistic expert at saps
3 年Well said Mr Maher
Helping people by finding overlooked details.
3 年Your observations are correct, Karen! ?? If a woman steps up and voices an opinion, she is being independent and is a hero. If a man does the same thing, he is labeled with some or all of the labels you mentioned. Are there bad men (& women) out there? YES! Are there hereos out there - men & women? YES! There are men & women out there truly making a difference - not just shouting & protesting. It is time to focus on these heroes and to use them as examples for the younger generation to emulate. They often don't make the news because they are quietly working every day to truly and really make a difference. Let's celebrate them!
Sabbatical - working on my next painting at Life
3 年As the great Muhammad Ali said “Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee”...HA... :) He who could’ve relied on pure Braun and Speed...instead relied on his own self belief and dictated his own path.