Not in an effort to contradict you, PS, but to offer a few reflections.
We are, always, whether we wish to own it or not, both individuals and part of a greater collective aka more than an individual. For us men, we are both men as individuals, but also part of the larger collective of manhood.
All indigenous and sustainable societies and communities in the past have accepted the importance and significance of the collective as a part of their identity. That collective being rooted in the family and an extension of the family, in most cases. Hence, in virtually all traditional cultures, young men go through an initiation process or phase whereby they leave the state of childhood and become part of the collective of men, the natural community of which they are a part, with privileges and responsibilities.
Part of the work of atheistic Marxism, both classic (sic) and cultural, has been to destroy the natural bonds that bind a society together, the linchpin which of course is the natural family, and attempt to replace all of that with the State. As an instrument of the Cabal, this ideological force has advanced and promoted rampant and toxic individualism - not healthy and true, aka God-centered individualism - but individualism separated from the whole, separated from the natural moorings of family and community, separated from any allegiance except to the State.
"Whatever serves me is what is right and good!" This approach leads to hedonism and further destruction of the human spirit.
It seems to me that in your response to Slech, you are defending your honor and your virtue, which is quite right and correct, where it doesn't need any defense, individually speaking.
But I put it to you that Slech is not impugning your honor or my honor or the honor of any men here who don't indulge in the aforementioned behaviour and mentality (that raised by u/rooftoptendie).
Rather, where Slech is actually coming from, to my mind, is based simply on a recognition that he and in fact all of us men here are part of a collective (again, one that we may feel loyalty to or not, one that we may feel a modicum of responsibility for or not, even one we may feel a part of or not). However we feel, it behooves us to recognize the existence of this dimension of our community here. Such dimensions are important, and they are prime examples of the aspects of community life that the Cabal seeks to undermine and destroy.
I get that for some folks, their honor is really important, and so if there is even a whiff of that being slighted, it's an issue. And, I think I get that.
However, to my mind, it's important to think BOTH as an individual, AND also as a part of something greater. Both should be very real aspects of our identity, imo. At this point, it can be noted that while the collective under the Cabal, under Marxism, etc, is a false idol-centered collective (the State is the all-powerful deity) leading to collectivism, true collectives are extensions of the natural family unit, the center and core of which is God (not religion), and when God is in the center, individuality is precious and rooted in the divine itself, and not something to be ignored.
When I read Rooftops comment, I thought for a moment, Dang, you know, I could call that out when I see it, and make a comment when that stuff emerges. But why should I even bother with that? I'm not doing it. If I think about it, my rationale would be, I should bother because I am part of this community, and the community of men here is a subset of that community, whether one feels loyalty or connected to that or not.
For millennia, men have played THE key role in raising young men, young boys, and assisting them to grow and take their rightful place as natural leaders of their society. u/Slechta5614 is, in my opinion, merely stepping up in his own way to say, "snap. The (over) presence of this stuff is partly my responsibility, because I'm part of the collective community of men here".
Nothing more than that.
You don't need to agree with his approach. I mean, no pun intended - we're all individuals, but I don't think it's about you, and if you take it as such, you will likely miss the point.
I don't know that I agree with Slechs' approach. It wasn't my first thought (i.e. to apologize on behalf of the men on GAW). But I recognize his response as being driven by the same sense of collective responsibility that I felt when I considered what rooftop was writing. And, he's expressing that in his Christian, faithful way.
Anyway, hey, I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying that the difference between what you wrote and what Slechta wrote to me is a reflection of certain different aspects of community and something worth thinking about.
$0.02
Not in an effort to contradict you, PS, but to offer a few reflections.
We are, always, whether we wish to own it or not, both individuals and part of a greater collective aka more than an individual. For us men, we are both men as individuals, but also part of the larger collective of manhood.
All indigenous and sustainable societies and communities in the past have accept the importance and significance of the collective as a part of their identity. That collective being rooted in the family and an extension of the family, in most cases. Hence, in virtually all traditional cultures, young men go through an initiation process or phase whereby they leave the state of childhood and become part of the collective of men, the natural community of which they are a part, with privileges and responsibilities.
Part of the work of atheistic Marxism, both classic (sic) and cultural, has been to destroy the natural bonds that bind a society together, the linchpin which of course is the natural family, and attempt to replace all of that with the State. As an instrument of the Cabal, this ideological force has advanced and promoted rampant and toxic individualism - not healthy and true, aka God-centered individualism - but individualism separated from the whole, separated from the natural moorings of family and community, separated from any allegiance except to the State.
"Whatever serves me is what is right and good!" This approach leads to hedonism and further destruction of the human spirit.
It seems to me that in your response to Slech, you are defending your honor and your virtue, which is quite right and correct, where it doesn't need any defense, individually speaking.
But I put it to you that Slech is not impugning your honor or my honor or the honor of any men here who don't indulge in the aforementioned behaviour and mentality (that raised by u/rooftoptendie).
Rather, where Slech is actually coming from, to my mind, is based simply on a recognition that he and in fact all of us men here are part of a collective (again, one that we may feel loyalty to or not, one that we may feel a modicum of responsibility for or not, even one we may feel a part of or not). However we feel, it behooves us to recognize the existence of this dimension of our community here. Such dimensions are important, and they are prime examples of the aspects of community life that the Cabal seeks to undermine and destroy.
I get that for some folks, their honor is really important, and so if there is even a whiff of that being slighted, it's an issue. And, I think I get that.
However, to my mind, it's important to think BOTH as an individual, AND also as a part of something greater. Both should be very real aspects of our identity, imo. At this point, it can be noted that while the collective under the Cabal, under Marxism, etc, is a false idol-centered collective (the State is the all-powerful deity) leading to collectivism, true collectives are extensions of the natural family unit, the center and core of which is God (not religion), and when God is in the center, individuality is precious and rooted in the divine itself, and not something to be ignored.
When I read Rooftops comment, I thought for a moment, Dang, you know, I could call that out when I see it, and make a comment when that stuff emerges. But why should I even bother with that? I'm not doing it. If I think about it, my rationale would be, I should bother because I am part of this community, and the community of men here is a subset of that community, whether one feels loyalty or connected to that or not.
For millennia, men have played THE key role in raising young men, young boys, and assisting them to grow and take their rightful place as natural leaders of their society. u/Slechta5614 is, in my opinion, merely stepping up in his own way to say, "snap. The (over) presence of this stuff is partly my responsibility, because I'm part of the collective community of men here".
Nothing more than that.
You don't need to agree with his approach. I mean, no pun intended - we're all individuals, but I don't think it's about you, and if you take it as such, you will likely miss the point.
I don't know that I agree with Slechs' approach. It wasn't my first thought (i.e. to apologize on behalf of the men on GAW). But I recognize his response as being driven by the same sense of collective responsibility that I felt when I considered what rooftop was writing. And, he's expressing that in his Christian, faithful way.
Anyway, hey, I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying that the difference between what you wrote and what Slechta wrote to me is a reflection of certain different aspects of community and something worth thinking about.
$0.02
Not in an effort to contradict you, PS, but to offer some alternative perspectives in the prospect that they might augment your take on the matter.
We are, always, whether we wish to own it or not, both individuals and part of a grater collective. For us men, we are both men as individuals, but also part of the larger collective of manhood.
All indigenous and sustainable societies and communities in the past, have accept the importance and significance of the collective as a part of their identity. Hence, traditional cultures in which young men go through an initiation whereby they leave the state of childhood and become part of the collective of men, the natural community of which they are a part.
Part of the work of atheistic Marxism, both classic (sic) and cultural has been to destroy the natural bonds that bind a society together, the linchpin which of course is the natural family, and attempt to replace that with the State. Advancing rampant and toxic individualism - not healthy and true, aka God-centered individualism - but individualism separated from the whole, separated from the natural moorings of family and community.
"Whatever serves me is what is right, and good!" This approach leads to hedonism and further destruction of the human spirit.
Disclaimer: I'm not in ANY way suggesting that you are possessed in the grip of such dysfunctional individualism. (Please read this line once again.)
You are defending your honor and your virtue, which is quite right and correct.
But I put it to you that Slech is not impugning your honor or my honor or the honor of any men here who don't indulge in the aforementioned behaviour and mentality (that raised by u/rooftoptendie), so no defense is necessary.
What Slech is actually saying, to my mind, is based simply on recognizing that he and in fact all of us men here are part of a collective, one that we may feel loyalty to or not, one that we may feel a modicum of responsibility for or not, even one we may feel a part of or not. However we feel, it behooves us to recognize the existence of this dimension of our community here. Such dimensions are important, and they are prime examples of the aspects of community life that the Cabal seeks to undermine and destroy.
In other words, it's important to think BOTH as an individual, AND also as a part of something greater. It should be noted that while the collective under the Cabal, under Marxism, etc, is a false idol-centered collective (the State is the all-powerful deity), true collectives are extensions of the natural family unit, and the center and core of the natural family is God (not religion).
When I read Rooftops comment, I thought for a moment, Dang, you know, I could call that out when I see it, and make a comment when that stuff emerges. Why should I even bother with that? I'm not doing it. I should bother because I am part of this community, and the community of men here is a subset of that community, whether one feels loyalty or connected to that or not.
For millennia, men have played THE key role in raising young men, young boys, and assisting them to grow and take their rightful place as natural leaders of their society. u/Slechta5614 is, in my opinion, merely stepping up in his own way to say, "snap. The (over) presence of this stuff is partly my responsibility, because I'm part of the collective community of men here".
Nothing more than that.
You don't need to agree with his approach. I mean, no pun intended - we're all individuals, but I don't think it's about you, and if you take it as such, you will likely miss the point.
I don't know that I agree with Slechs' approach. It wasn't my first thought (i.e. to apologize on behalf of the men on GAW). But I recognize his response as being driven by the same sense of collective responsibility that I felt when I considered what rooftop was writing.
Anyway, hey, I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying that maybe there's another dimension that Slech is coming from, and maybe one you haven't considered. If you have, then okay. I'm just sharing my thoughts here.
$0.02