Author of The Future of Men Weighs in on Harvey Weinstein

As the author of a book focused on Masculinity in the TwentyFirst Century which was written in 2015 and published in April 2016 I need to comment on the current wave of publicity triggered by disclosures of Harvey Weinstein39s sexist misogynistic and allegedly illegal behavior amp160Just as Weinstein should be rejected by a culture that has embraced him as a quotgodquot so should not just women but men also stand against these actions It39s time for men to take a stand against the negative patriarchy first by becoming more aware of our own destructive behaviors second by explicitly rejecting the offensive actions of others and third by proactively taking a stand to tear down the hierarchies and environment that engenders an inborn sense of male dominance over women that has existed since the cavemanAs I wrote The Future of Men I recognized how our society culture companies and lives are permeated by inappropriate sexual activity sexism misogynyamp160and pornography and how accepted this conduct has become amp160I listened with more awareness as my male colleagues engaged in obviously inappropriate sexual banter and behavior none of them considering that it was dangerous painful destructiveamp160and offensiveHow many men out there believe they are acting in all the right ways accepting total equality for womenamp160and rejecting misogyny and sexual misbehavior while still engaging in stupid chestpuffing male behavior without accountability amp160Oblivious to the dangerous and devastating implications of their actions they believe that they won39t be quotoutedquot or that they will be able to lie or buy their way out of anything if caught amp160Misguided and outdated attitudes are at the foundation of the belief system of male power and dominance rooted in almost all hierarchies including family work church living communities sports politics educationamp160and the artsBut the walls are tumbling and the floors collapsing under the men39s regime amp160Male masters of the universe can no longer use their physical strength governmental authority or financial control to dictate and rule over the position and privileges of womenA man need only to think back to his most recent conversation with other men at a business meeting partyamp160or sporting event amp160Did he tell or listen to a sexist joke with no sense of impropriety amp160Would the conversation have been different with one or more women present amp160He can think of his last time walking down a street or on public transportation amp160How did he look at and think about a young attractive woman in a short skirt amp160When seeing a beautiful woman walking ahead of him did he speed up to walk past her and steal a glimpseIf he is in a supervisory position at work what are the differences in his behavior with his male and female employees amp160If he has a female boss does he respect and respond to her the same as he would a male boss amp160How would he act differently at a bar or party if his wife or girlfriend were watching amp160If he has promised sexual and emotional fidelity in his relationship has he completely abided by that commitment or has he screwed around and then denied that the affair had any real meaning to him or his partner and was therefore acceptable amp160How does he perceive the respective roles and responsibilities of his parents and how are these roles reflected in his own relationshipsThe typical answers to these questions all lead to one conclusion most men today no matter how enlightened they may believe they are continue to exhibit and foster the same behavior as men have throughout the ages amp160Despite the prevalence of the behavior incontrovertible trends in society business politics education entertainmentamp160and virtually every other realm of Western culture are now revealing these ageold patterns as inappropriate and destructiveFor many men the earliest lesson taught to them by their fathers was that if caught in a compromising situation the one single rule to live by was to deny deny deny amp160This code permeates society from quotWeinergatequot and Chris Christie to Vladimir Putin39s refusal to acknowledge any role in the US election and from Bill Clinton39s quotnever had sex with that womanquot to Donald Trump39s insistence that his sexual harassment accusers are liars and his supporters39 acceptance of his denialsWith the Internet prompting an openness that society has never been confronted with before men everywhere have to become more aware of the likelihood that the truth of their actions will be exposed bringing on inevitable repercussions amp160Men need to learn that when challenged it is easier in the long run to tell the truth no matter how damaging it is amp160With a permanent history of their transgressions stored on the Internet it will become increasingly difficult for men to cling to the old mantra of deny deny deny amp160They may by circumstance or on purpose one day reveal the truth to their significant others colleagues friends or bosses but too late amp160The relationship will already have been destroyedAs we look to the implications for the future a new generation of men born in the Internet age will understand the pitfalls of engaging in actions and infidelity that will inevitably lead to a decision of whether to tell the truth or to deny it amp160As they witness the exposure and downfall of those who act inappropriately and illegally who lie and deny they will be less inclined to make the mistakes to begin with amp160Humans will always err but this new generation will be more conscious of the inevitable consequences of their actions as the Internet and social media communicate and establish a permanent record of their transgressionsIt39s incumbent on every man to strive to be recognized as a positive role model for fathering this next generation and to reflect in all our actions a more constructive and positive version of masculinity amp160The appropriate male response to Harvey Weinstein Bill Cosby Bill Clinton Donald Trump Roy Price Travis Kalanick and the myriad of men who are certain to be outed over the next few yearsamp160is to become more aware of our own destructive behaviors reject those actions in othersamp160and take a stand against the hierarchies and environment that empowers themView Jack Myers39 TEDWomen Talk on The Future of Men hereamp160and order The Future of Men hereClick the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Author of The Future of Men Weighs in on Harvey Weinstein

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