The enigma of man
In times past, masculine identity was defined by peculiar customs and beliefs. Men adorned themselves from their feet, attributing virility to clothing and habits. The poet Miguel Hernández portrayed this paradox during the Civil War: ‘Men, I see that, as men, / they only have, they only spend / pants and a cigarette.’
Men were believed to be intrinsically superior beings, destined to hunt and explore while women devoted themselves to tasks considered trivial. Honor and valor were measured by duels and parades, while feminine wisdom was feared and suppressed.
The tautology of masculinity
The expression ‘behave like a man’ became a tautology, a redundancy that hid the true nature of masculinity. Men were forced to prove their manhood through violence, bravery, and suppression of emotion.
We invent terms like ‘manliness’ and ‘manliness’ to exalt these attributes, without recognizing their feminine equivalent. Society divided individuals into binary categories: public men and public women, cojonudos and cojonazos.
The days of man
Patriarchy was established as an oppressive system, represented by authoritarian figures who sacrificed their own children in the name of tradition. Men were seen as stoic beings, incapable of crying, while female beauty and sensitivity were despised.
Sexist violence manifested itself in the repression of men who deviated from gender norms and in the objectification of women. Machismo forced us to be categorically macho, dividing the world between ‘cojonudos’ and ‘panchagastas’.
The legacy of ambivalence
However, the history of masculinity is complex and ambivalent. The same men who invented dynamite also created the Nobel Prizes. Some supported women’s suffrage, recognizing women’s equality.
Man has been responsible for both atrocities and progress. From the massacre of the innocents to Kristallnacht, from slavery to the denial of the vote, the history of masculinity is marked by violence and oppression.
women’s nights
In contrast to the ‘days of men’, women have experienced ‘nights’ of struggle and resistance. They have challenged social norms, claiming their right to autonomy and equality.
They have demonstrated daily courage, without resorting to virility. They have balanced reason and heart, refusing to be puppets or objects of desire. They have fought for their rights, from voting to control of their own bodies.
Women have not sought to be warriors, but to end war. They have hated the system that oppressed them, not the men themselves.
The end of the ‘days of man’
The ‘days of man’ have dominated history, but their reign is coming to an end. ‘Saint Never’s Day’ is approaching, a day when inequality and oppression will be a thing of the past.
However, stupidity is not exclusive to men. Men and women have collectively celebrated mediocrity. We must recognize that true progress requires the rejection of stereotypes and the construction of a more just and equal society.
