patriarchy?
it seems like patriarchy enslaves both women and men. by creating artificial rules that cause neither to live fulfilled lives. masculinity and femininity were never meant to be contained or categorized.
how can men live fulfilled lives if women are drowning in expectations that never suited them. how can women live fulfilled lives if men are living superficially as who they’re supposed to be rather than honestly who they are.
patriarchy is the set of expectations that tries to keep everything in a set order. that never changes or evolves. even if it doesn’t fit the people or the situation.
it doesn’t serve the souls of anyone.
though it doesn’t serve anyone, for most of us, it’s terrifying to think any differently. most of us have been trained to see ourselves through specific gender characteristics. as women we are supposed to be nurturing, motherly, and sacrificing. the characteristics become so powerful, that it’s hard to admit the truth for fear of being viewed negatively for not following the female script.
it can sometimes feel like we will lose everything if we tell the truth.
although the script can feel safe and comforting, it doesn’t bring us security. we would have to keep reading the lines perfectly. because with one wrong word, we would be out. out to ourselves. out to our families. out to the world.
it’s good to want more than the narrow lines we are supposed to follow. it’s good to want to write our own story. with our own words. not matter how they may sound. no matter how they may be misunderstood. at least they’re ours.