For the past 100 years or so, millions of people from across the world have been fighting to make our society a better place. This includes better labour laws, access to education, infrastructure, quality food, and equal rights for everyone. Women and people of colour have long been battling to give themselves and their peers the same rights that mostly white men have enjoyed, and it’s been a long, uphill battle that has had plenty of setbacks.
One of the most damaging of these setbacks is systemic misogyny, or the belief that men are inherently better than women, and in extreme cases, women are seen as little more than possessions. It’s become a serious problem in the modern world, with a lot of popular social media influencers using their reach to try and get as many people as possible to adopt their beliefs. Misogyny has no place in today’s world, but it’s easy to become swayed by the messages that it carries.
So, let’s look at what men of all ages can do to avoid adhering to these beliefs.
Treat Everyone The Same
This is important, as one of the fundamental reasons that misogyny tends to pop up is because of the belief that one gender is better than the other. It might begin as nothing more than a thought at the back of one’s head, but it doesn’t take long for it to grow and eventually become a way of life, and for some, it even becomes a personality trait.
Always remember that we are equal, regardless of our gender, class, creed, religion, or colour. It doesn’t matter if we share extreme cultural differences or that one person might have opposing views to another – it’s imperative that we always treat each other as equally as possible. A part of this process is learning how to develop empathy and compassion, emotions that are fundamental to the human experience.
Being Extremely Competitive
There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of friendly competition every now and again. Perhaps it’s a wager against a colleague, or an amicable game of football at the local sports field, or a wager using PGA betting odds. But not all competition is friendly, and there are a lot of men out there that often take their competitive streaks to the extreme, both with other men and especially women.
And if it ever comes to the point where a woman does better than a misogynist professionally or socially, it’s not uncommon for him to act out, sometimes even physically. Being ambitious and even a bit competitive can be done in a healthy way, and one that’s not to the detriment of others.
Making False Promises
This one is a little less known but can still be a serious red flag. It’s not uncommon for a misogynist to make promises to a man, and then do everything that he can to keep that promise. But that same courtesy won’t be extended to a woman, and he will have no issue at all breaking the promise if it suits him.
