Men inherit definitions about manhood, but many of these definitions no longer fit. A society that was once based on power, assumptions, and stereotypes is changing. Few people take time to learn about the history of male oppression, the foundations of male masculinity, and the evolution of the modern man. Join author Rod E. Keays as he examines these important topics and more, including why boys and men accept certain roles; why men bully each other; why it's important to deal with emotions; and why it's so hard for men to talk about sexuality. Keays explores his own experiences coping with the twists and turns that come with being a man. One thing he learns early on is that most men don't talk about their emotional highs and lows. As someone who likes to talk openly and frankly, he feels isolated, but he continues living life on his terms. Discover what good men have been doing for thousands of years and how men's groups can help men achieve their goals. The world may have its share of problems, but The Naturally Good Man continues to contribute to society.
THE NATURALLY GOOD MAN
And the Ten Thousand Blades of LifeBy ROD E. KEAYSTrafford Publishing
Copyright © 2012 Rod E. Keays
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4669-1924-2Contents
Acknowledgements.........................................................................viiPreface..................................................................................ixAn Introduction To What I Discovered About My Own Life...................................xxviiChapter One The First Foundation: The Constructed Man....................................1Chapter Two The Second Foundation: Culture = Nature or Does it?..........................42Chapter Three The Third Foundation: Objectivity = Survival of a Kind.....................71Chapter Four The Fourth Foundation: A Purpose for Life, Resolution?......................83Chapter Five The Fifth Foundation: The Evolutionary Process..............................89Conclusion To The Five Foundations.......................................................173Resources and Recommended Reading........................................................179Bibliography.............................................................................181Notes....................................................................................193Index....................................................................................213
Chapter One
The First Foundation: The Constructed Man
I sat on a rock a bit removed from the trail wiping blood away from my face with the back of my hand. The fall yesterday left one eye useless and the other swollen and painful. I knew that if I could not see, I would be left for dead by the rest of the tribe. There was no extra food for an injured and potentially useless dependent like me. I had seen others leave for similar reasons. While it distressed me at the time, it was soon forgotten as the hardships of daily life took its toll on everyone. Later the next day my fear of impending doom resurfaced as my face refused to heal. At that moment a small child bumped into my knee. I could see just enough of her to see her sweet smile and the light that radiated from her face. At first she hesitated then took a scrap of fur from her pouch and tried to clean up my bleeding face. Her mother happened by and swatted her on the back of the head, scolding her that I was to be shunned and should be left to die. She walked on, but the girl stayed with me, and I wondered what could I give her in return, or for that matter of what use was I to the tribe itself?
I began reviewing the last few weeks of our travel over the plains in our never-ending search for water and food. What could I provide now? I did have a talent for smelling out water in obscure places. The tribe did occasionally look to me when luck was against us. Was there enough of a need for water that the tribe would keep me alive? Would someone be my eyes while I recover what sight I might still have left? Could I make my discoveries more secret or restrict them to certain members of the tribe, say for example—the children? That's it! I would tell them where to find the water and the adults would have no idea how this was done. Word would get around that I was responsible for the children's discoveries. I would get the credit and be looked after by the tribe.
How often did creative yet injured, mentally ill or other different gendered members of early tribes create a need for themselves so they would be looked after and not be faced with abandonment and death? The above story of a water sourcer may have led to a position within the tribe as an early shaman or witch doctor. These occasionally odd, possibly dangerous members often enjoyed positions of enhanced authority and prestige due to their unusual talents or disabilities. Their "magical" skills or quick-mindedness could morph into storytelling or myth-making. They had skills important to the functioning of early tribes and helped to maintain a cohesive sense of community between the members. As well, other oddballs, degenerates and loners found a place in tribal life, some much later than others. Yet many were cast out when injured or sick.
Even today, in wealthy Western nations some have yet to find an acceptable place. The urban poor for example, have not found a place. Those sitting in judgment of them assume existence in filth is a fitting end to those of an assumed weaker disposition. It is a rejection of their unseen value. Nonetheless we are seeing the slow acceptance of other-challenged persons within mainstream society in such areas as the Paralympics, creative transportation solutions for the disabled, sidewalks with dips to accommodate wheelchairs, traffic crosswalks with buzzers for visually impaired citizens, and many non-profit organizations set up primarily to assist these people. Something continues to include the oddball and the needy. As I have asked before, what is it? Is it just the recognition that skills are being wasted or that other humans are suffering needlessly that eventually brings society around? Could it be a concern about human rights? But where did that idea come from?
As further skills developed in pre-history and greater tolerance of exotic behaviors became commonplace, we see the establishment of hierarchy and the beginnings of the constructionist phase of our masculine heritage. We forget too easily that history has been winding its way for many thousands of years and we lose the knowledge of what happened in our father's generation and how that affected him differently from his father's. For example, in our grandfathers' day, it would have been a new idea to accept the possibility of rehabilitation of the mentally ill into functioning persons and to resist seeing them as wretched criminals without hope. Within that resistance lay the justification for their poor treatment. But the change had to be created by someone or something in order for it to happen. In our day, we have seen the acceptance of same sex marriages and the gigantic shadow of global terrorism. Two and a half million years ago it was something else. It appears to be part of a progression of some kind.
In more detail now we will explore this ancient and curious human trait of inclusiveness and generativity. Starting from the anthropological record we can witness the first stirrings of the future lives of men.
At this point about 2.4 million years ago early humans still lived in trees. In the great plains of Africa began an expansion due to a drying trend in the world's climate. The forests that covered much of the world began to die back. In order for the early humans to survive, a major change to their lifestyle was required. It just so happened that the human male was two times the size of the human female, faster and not encumbered by young, soooo ... guess who got to climb down from the tree and go get the bacon? You' re absolutely right—the guys!!! It just made sense; the environment demanded it. This was way before any choice was available in our gender roles. Even though recent research has shown that later in history, females often went along on hunting parties and assisted in the killing for meat, it generally fell to males to do this. Although females, proving their capabilities as warriors alongside males, probably stopped these adventures during childbirth, and no doubt choose for the rest of their lives to raise their young children. For the male hunters in pre-historic times, not only was it hard work, it was also very dangerous. In those days, large cats and other predators roamed the plains. Many males...
