How often do you hear someone say "he never talks to me", "he never tells me....", or "I wish he opened up", etc.? Probably, more frequently than you here the opposite, "she never talks about....". As a man, I can have great conversations, well except when discussing football or rugby, then I am useless. However, I do, or more appropriately, I should say I used to have that age old problem, of withholding my deepest thoughts, considerations, concerns, worries, and emotions. Not an unfamiliar story, as I am sure there are many who can relate. So why is that, and is it helpful, is it protective, and why, to broadly generalise, is it a trait more frequently adopted by men. Some would say this lack of willingness to share, is a protective attribute that stems back to Neolithic man. An intrinsic desire, or need to protect the more vulnerable, to spare them the concerns, worries, or fears of the reality, and the dangers of life outside the cave.
I find it interesting how in a post millennial society, where one is encouraged to be an individual, a large number of people still adhere to pack mentality. We see examples of this every day when one person begins crossing a road, several others follow etc. One person sees a bargain in a shop and soon word of mouth gets around. One person dies from toilet roll starvation and soon the nation is in fear for its life, in case it starves from toilet paper hunger. In all seriousness, why do we panic buy? Why is it those with money and poses the most starve and restrict the most needy. The elderly who lives on a pension, having saved the nation from occupation now can't eat because the neighbours have gone in their cars and bought all the bread, flour, pasta etc etc. Before the pensioner has managed to catch the bus to the same shop. People talk about "war time conditions", but ask those who have lived in such times, they will tell you a different story. One of neighbours looking out for one another, borrowing a cup of flour, the single person was invited in for Sunday lunch, the women would sew and mend their neighbours clothes, the men would place out the rubbish bags for the sick neighbors. So do we live in war times, or are we more selfish/self isolated? Some religions/faiths talk about loving our neighbours, is there still truth in that? We will see... 
Comments
Post a Comment