Fascinating, well written. I think many men will like this article because it can be interpreted as letting them off the hook for being how they are, but I agree with the others who have said that we men created this problem for ourselves.
I like the bladder analogy. I think another appropriate analogy is of the fish in the ocean who has no idea what water is.
If you swim through a sea of entitlement your whole life, you have no idea it’s there and supporting you in everything you do. Same thing with white privilege.
I think back to some of my behavior when I was younger, and I recoil. Stuff that pretty much all guys at that age do (or did back then), but that I now realize is not acceptable, and was probably pretty intimidating for the women involved. I’m of course not talking about assault here.
But it all sprung from ignorance, not a lack of empathy. I had no idea how intimidating men can be to women, because I had no idea what women go through starting at a very young age. I didn’t know what I didn’t know.
Fathers need to educate their sons on this, early and thoroughly. I certainly will.
