Also on NRO, Kathryn Jean Lopez has a short interview with Harvard professor Harvey Mansfield on his new book, Manliness, that is worth reading. Here are a couple of excerpts:
Lopez: What's your one sentence definition of manliness?Mansfield: Manliness is confidence and command in a situation of risk.
Lopez: How deeply has feminism wounded manliness? I'd hate to see manliness fall, wimp-like, victim to little old aging bra burners.
Mansfield: Feminism abolished the idea of femininity but only wounded manliness.
It claimed and still claims that women can be as manly as men, but on condition that manliness is redefined in the direction of womanly sensitivity. Manly men did not fight back because they are not in the habit of fighting women, and because we all believe in democratic equality.
Lopez: What's the most practical manliness advice you have to offer — to men or women or both?Mansfield: Avoid the sensitive male. He will be more sensitive to other women and to himself than to you.
Judging by many of the Amazon reviews, the book seems to have upset many readers. I may order a copy of this one, too.
Update: I'm having second thoughts, though.
Posted by oscarjr at April 17, 2006 11:47 AM | TrackBack