By saying, “Man up,” I don’t mean to exclude the women who may be reading this. You might benefit from manning up too. I hope I can illustrate why.
Somewhat recently the phrase, “Man up,” has come under fire and labeled with the vague blanket term, “toxic masculinity.”
The term, “toxic masculinity,” could’ve had some validity but I’ve since seen it used for denouncing essentially anything that is traditionally manly or traits that are, at least symbolically, masculine. For example, being competitive or aggressive. I find this radical destruction of what masculine means detrimental to society.
There are, of course, times when things like aggression can go too far. Murder and domestic abuse for example. We have a place for people that get too aggressive and uncivilized and we call it prison.
So, what does, “Man up,” mean? To me, it’s synonymous with toughen up. It means to take heart, be bold, or power through. It also means to stop crying over spilt milk.
What’s wrong with that? Who doesn’t need to toughen up?
It’s not about being strong all the time or not having feelings. That’s absurd. Nobody is strong all the time, not even Hercules. And the only things that don’t feel are inanimate objects.
Winston Churchill cried all the time. I don’t think anyone will deny that he was manly. In fact, I think being strong enough to admit that he can be weak and cry only reinforces his masculinity.
“Man up,” is about having the strength to push through regardless of how you feel. That’s not something only men can do. Is it? Surely, women would benefit from harnessing their masculine side as well. They already are.
Unfortunately, we see the results of those who refused to, “man up,” more and more. Grown adults who throw temper tantrums when they don’t get their way. We see it when we shift blame, lie, and panic when the going gets tough.
In this sense, could, “man up,” not also mean, “grow up?” After all, the phrase isn’t, “boy up.”
Since I’ve illustrated where masculine traits can go wrong, what are examples of positive masculinity?
Positive masculinity is the construction workers, sweating, bleeding, and getting covered in dirt so that we have places to live and roads to drive on. It’s the brave knight, vowing to destroy the dragon, even if it costs him his life. It’s the father, making sacrifices day after day so that his wife and children can have a good life.
Man up. The world is cruel. Children get cancer, adorable little beagles are used for product testing, and the government takes roughly thirty percent of your paycheck.
Man up. Or the houses will fall down, the dragon will terrorize the people, and the family will suffer.
Man up. The world depends on it.