Complex Numbers

Man

I can admit when I just don't understand something. This is one of those times.

How to be a man  
Old ideas of manliness make us miserable. Being labelled ‘toxic’ doesn’t help. A reimagined masculinity is the way forward

As is often the case for these things, the author is basically trying to sell his books. I've noted before that this is not necessarily a bad thing, especially since a lot of us are writers. The techniques used for selling books are writing exercises in themselves.

That said, I still don't fully understand this. I don't know whether it's because I'm completely stupid when it comes to such topics as emotions, gender identity, and how to relate to other people, or if it's a really clever marketing thing: "If you want to know more, buy my book!"

And that’s what is needed to be a man today: the freedom to customise one’s gender identity and not be forced into what’s on the rack.

I think that's how I live my life? Mostly? I don't know.

One essential article we all need in our wardrobe is emotional resiliency.

And I probably should have stopped reading there, because I don't have a good idea about what that actually is.

We might still buy into the beliefs that we’re supposed to avoid asking for help and that we should not talk about our fears, sadness or emotional isolation.

Maybe because talking about such things is a great way to become even more isolated? There is very little more unattractive than depression and loneliness, so admitting to those things is a surefire route to becoming more depressed and lonely because people scatter like roaches in the light.

So I'm not going to say much more about the article. It's fairly long and I'd understand if you didn't want to read it. I did, and then I had to go watch videos on quantum physics and mathematics because I understand them better.

But I'm putting it here in case a) someone has some insight and b) something sinks in with me and I can go back and revisit it at some later date.

Mini-Contest Results!

I enjoyed all the comments yesterday. Hard to pick just one word, right? Considering the different pronunciations of, for example, through, tough, trough, and thorough, it's a wonder anyone can learn English at all. Some of you mentioned "knight;" I've heard that the word used to be pronounced more like how the French Persons in Holy Grail said it: k'nigk't, or something similar to that. The K and the GH ended up becoming silent and the vowel lengthened. Don't ask me how or why. People are weird.

But yeah, place names are probably the worst. I'm reminded of the town in Indiana called Versailles. Anyone with even a passing familiarity with even the slightest bit of French (or some knowledge of WW1) knows to pronounce it like "ver-sigh." But no, not in Indiana, where you have to call it "ver-sails" or they run you out of town on a ryel.

So today's MB goes to Ugly Christmas Sox for the place name nonsense.

We'll do this again soon.