Overcoming Male Inferiority: The Insignificance of Man Before Women
Many men have an inferiority complex when they engage with women. This complicated problem has roots in psychological concerns, gender expectations, and societal norms. Relationships between men and women have changed as a result of the advent of feminism and womanism, which have challenged conventional ideas of male superiority. Many males are having feelings of insignificance and inadequacy when women continue to express their independence and equality, especially when considering the godlike qualities of women.
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Both in scholarly and popular discourse, there has been much discussion on the dynamics of man-woman relationships. The inferiority mentality that many men encounter while interacting with women is one specific issue that has drawn attention. This essay looks at the roots of a man’s ego, the fear that a woman can arouse his sexual interest, and the larger consequences for gender relations in an attempt to investigate the core of men’s inferiority complex toward women.
By acknowledging the impact of feminism and womanism on gender dynamics and promoting a more inclusive understanding of male identity, society can move towards a future where both men and women can thrive in mutually supportive and empowering relationships. Recognizing the source of men’s inferiority complex and addressing the role of man’s ego is essential to fostering healthier and more equitable relationships between men and women.
The conventional roles have been called into question by the growth of feminism and womanism, resulting in a restructuring of the power relations between men and women. Many men are facing an identity crisis as women continue to establish their independence and equality.
The Cause of the Inferiority Complex in Men
Men know women before they become adults and sleep with them naked. As their babies, they depend on her for all physical and psychological needs, and as adults, they need her for sexual gratification. In short, a man’s most crucial need as a baby or as an adult is to be with a woman. However, man’s greatest fear is domination by her. She overwhelms them during their infancy. Men feel a woman still treats them like a baby, and they are overwhelmed by the power of women. They appeased her when they were kids and also when she was their beloved. Men also suffer from fear of women’s ability to get them sexually attracted and their control over them.
Men have the feeling that a woman pulls them towards herself as a piece of the magnet pulls iron filings. Marshal writes, “Beyond her ability to sexually attract him, man is well-aware of woman’s power to subdue him through the act of sexual intercourse.” (Marshal, 1995) This is the reason that men think that when they are sleeping with a woman, they are sleeping with the devil.
The sense of being insignificant and inferior to a woman makes them unable to face the woman in a subjective mode, as a person, inter-subjectively. However, they feel comfortable with her as an object of sex. Marshal points out, “Man’s ego can be defined as his sense of identity, of which his feelings of self-worth are paramount. Though man may try to validate his sense of self-worth by undertaking a myriad of endeavors, one of the significant ways he can obtain a sense of significance is by gaining the admiration of woman…Man’s ego, with its inherent craving for female acceptance and adoration, makes him vulnerable to be manipulated by woman.” (ibid)
Men compensate their weakness by creating religions and double moral standards, unequal nakedness norms, body shame, beauty myth and brutal use of force over her. Furthermore, deeply rooted societal norms that favour male dominance while also promoting insecurity are the primary result of men’s inferiority complex when interacting with women. Throughout history, civilizations that uphold patriarchy have shaped masculine identity by emphasizing power, dominance, and strength.
The psychological need for dominance and validation in man-woman relationships can create a fragile ego in men, especially when they feel their authority is being undermined. The fear of being sexually attracted to women, especially in a society that celebrates female autonomy and choice, further aggravates this insecurity, leading to heightened vulnerability and inferiority when interacting with women, especially those who embody modern feminism and womanism ideals.
Women’s godlike attributes, such as empathy, intuition, and nurturing, are increasingly recognized and celebrated in contemporary discourse. However, these attributes can inadvertently contribute to the perceived insignificance of man, especially in traditional contexts where male identity is tied to dominance rather than collaboration. In man-woman relationships, the acknowledgment of women’s godlike attributes can lead to an internalized sense of inferiority in men. Men talk of a woman’s biological inferiority and her alleged inability to exercise wise judgment. No one can be superior or inferior to the other because of the anatomy, and color of his or her body.
I feel most impertinent and insignificant before a woman, her power of attraction, her overwhelming power over me as a baby and as an adult. When men sleep with a woman, they fail to notice her sameness with their mother. They forget that as babies they already know those breasts, that body, that warmth of her body, that softness of her skin, and that touch of silk. Our literature is abounding for her praise, she is praiseworthy, and singing a love song for her evokes my deep emotions. I bow my head before her in reverence. Some of her attributes are godlike. Due to the inferiority complex, some men use physical force, their muscles against women out of fear of being dominated.
References:
1. Marshal, J. (1995). The Power of Attraction: Gender Dynamics in Human Relationships. New York: Sterling Publishers.
2. Smith, A. (2001). Gender and Power: Understanding the Dynamics of Male and Female Relationships. London: Routledge.
3. Brown, L. (2010). Feminism and Masculinity: The Changing Role of Men in a Feminist World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
4. Davis, R. (2015). The Ego and the Male Identity: How Feminism is Reshaping Manhood. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.