If you’ve stumbled on this page then this is already a good step forward. Whether you’re here to learn or solely to disagree I’ll never know but I hope that you’ve come with an open mind otherwise. In this upcoming series I will try to cover topics in the space of toxic masculinity and feminism. Some may already be offended by the existence of the term “toxic masculinity” and wonder how being masculine can be toxic and that is okay. We will work towards understanding how this and many other terms came to exist. We as humans are social creatures and it is inevitable that men and women will have to interact in some capacity. I believe that in order to further progress humanity it is important we understand more about each other. Further understanding the plights of others and our own shortcomings is imperative in our search to coexist better. A society that works better together grows better right? It only makes logical sense. A society at odds is always doomed to stagnate or, in some cases, regress. It isn’t enough to make our goal procreation since we are bound to spread the same issues to the next generation. But above all I want to teach the importance of empathy. At a fundamental human level it is important that we teach and practice empathy. I believe it is an axiom of life. There should be no reason as to “why” we should be empathetic as intelligent creatures: we just should be. I believe that the more one learns about themselves the better they can be both to themselves and to those around them. So I hope to teach men (and women) how to be empathetic in a patriarchal society. There is one thing that I do want the men reading to understand and hopefully accept by the end of this series: being born a man in a patriarchal society is in itself a privilege. It is not your fault for being born a man and this does not mean that there are no downsides to this “privilege.” Men suffer everywhere under patriarchal systems and so do women, but men are affected less than women are. It is the fault of men way before our time that set up these systems and we are all victims to it. Feminism is an ideology that works towards removing the patriarchy and has no intention of putting down men. So instead of attacking each other I hope that we can understand one another just a little better to work against the system.