One of the biggest misunderstandings of manliness and masculinity is that it means one is an emotionless entity. That just because of masculinity being associated classically with a form of stoicism means that manliness means to be unfeeling. To be an uncaring and callous domination over others and things. This could not be further from the truth of manliness and masculinity. The truth of the matter is that manliness is filled with emotion and love. Men do express and act on their emotions differently than women usually, but, they still have them. To argue I as a man do not love or have emotions is to deny my humanity. To deny masculinity has an emotional component is to deny men have a consciousness at all.
I am going to argue that manliness and masculinity are built on core principles of nurturing. Those principles are protection, provision and production. Men are traditionally and historically the human animal that protects, provides and produces for other individuals. This includes guarding against the barbarians at the gates in our human history. It includes being the hunters of our species food and protection of those around them. It includes being historically the workers outside the home whom made the money and then provisioned it to ones wife and children. It was about producing the things needed to help you and your kin to survive.
All of these things are emotional as much as material. All of these are forms of nurturing other than breaking down into an emotional honey trap of tears while arrows fly at you. Emotional mastery as found in traditional masculine and manly archetypes is a form of emotional strength and resilience. It is also a form of self nurturing which helps to be able to do the things needed to nurture other people; including historically ones kin. You cannot have emotional mastery without emotions; even very intense and overwhelming emotions which you learn to nurture and master. Mastery is a form of love in a serious way.
Men protect other people throughout time immemorial. Please do not listen the to the rabid anti-history feminists whom claim history is built on men oppressing women. The truth is that it is the total opposite. Every single strict rule for women was put in not to oppress them, but, as a form of trading freedom for protection. Why did women not work? Due to how dangerous it was for women to work at the jobs that existed at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution that is why. It was a continuation of the idea of women being safe at home protected while men were out hunting for food. Any man that oppresses another person irregardless of gender is an aberration from a man and a brutal, savage monster. He is the opposite of masculine he is damaged.
Oh, wait you say, what about the vote? The vote was not a right it was a privilege associated with going to war associated with conscription. It was a way of protecting women from war and destruction not meant as a form of oppression. Not only that, but, not all men could vote only certain sectors and classes could. Women eventually got their right to vote, but, men never did. To this day Men in the USA NEED TO BY LAW register with Selected Service (AKA the list used for Drafts). Women do not meaning they have no responsibility to the Military they have something for nothing.
Does this mean I support those security over freedom rules? Of course not, but, it is not oppression at all. There is a specific definition of oppression and that would not be it. The point is that masculinity is not and never has been about oppressing other people. It has always been about protection, provision, production and I will also throw in procreation as well. It has been all about nurturing, but, just in a different way from women. Men, manliness and masculinity has always been emotional, loving and these things are not "feminine" or "womanly" things. Masculinity is nurturing at its core and manliness is definitely not cold or emotionless. Love is manly and love is masculine. Love is human after all!
