Conversations on Humanity
We’ve been thinking about a lot. We’ve been fortunate that many others are thinking and writing about the state of humanity and the changing roles, attitudes, understandings, and perceptions about what it means to be a woman or man today. We have been inspired by the following pieces, and we hope they will engage your thinking, inspire your relationships, and encourage you to share and discuss them with those you love in your life. We’ve found that all are worth reading or listening to more than once. In light of all that is happening in our homes, community, and across our country, we’re going back to take a deeper dive into the issues. We invite you to join the conversation- there’s a lot to think about.
Cleveland Cavalier Kevin Love writes about how Everyone is Going Through Something for The Players’ Tribune (March 6, 2018). “If you’re suffering silently like I was, then you know how it can feel like nobody really gets it. Partly, I want to do it for me, but mostly, I want to do it because people don’t talk about mental health enough. And men and boys are probably the farthest behind.”
How to Raise a Boy (NY Magazine, March, 2018) offers multiple perspectives and 29 answers to an impossible question while addressing a range of issues such as communication, fear, violence, aggression, parenting, sex, and loss.
Carson Daly Describes Tools He Uses To Cope His Anxiety. “Carson revealed he has generalized anxiety disorder, which means he is gripped by excessive feelings of fear and worry. He opened up about struggling with the disorder to help shed the stigma that surrounds mental illness, especially for men who are often encouraged by society to tamp down their emotions and problems.”
Why I'm done trying to be "man enough" Justin Baldoni’s TEDTalk (Jan 3, 2018, 18:31 mins)
Actor Justin Baldoni wants to start a dialogue with men about redefining masculinity -- to figure out ways to be not just good men but good humans. In a warm, personal talk, he shares his effort to reconcile who he is with who the world tells him a man should be. And he has a challenge for men: "See if you can use the same qualities that you feel make you a man to go deeper," he says. "Your strength, your bravery, your toughness: Are you brave enough to be vulnerable? Are you strong enough to be sensitive? Are you confident enough to listen to the women in your life?"
Comedian Michael Ian Black On Why 'Boys Are Broken' (NPR, Feb. 18, 2018, 6:37 mins) and The Boys Are Not All Right (NYT Op-Ed, Feb. 21, 2018). “We understand that femininity can be much more broadly encompassing than masculinity now. When you think of a strong woman, that doesn't rob her of any of her femininity. But when you think of a fragile man, that has the effect culturally, I think, of neutering that guy. And so much of masculinity is rooted in sexuality.”
As we continue to research and learn, we also are discovering how to best share all the good stuff that we find on our website, connectbewell.org. We want to create ease for our community in seeking resources on a range of topics.
Definitely perfectly imperfect,
