100 Skills
When reading through the list of 100 Skills Every Man Should Know from the Art of Manliness, I couldn’t help but be bothered by each thing listed. While some of the activities spoken about were truly important skills to have in order to thrive in certain situations, I could not help but wonder why these skills had to be known by men specifically. While trying to keep an open mind, my inner feminist came out while reading through this list. If things such as telling a joke and taking the perfect photo are so important, why should only men need mastery of this skill?
After thinking about this list in-depth, I decided to take on one of the tasks. I found that the task which states to entertain myself without a smartphone was a good use of my time. I have noticed that my generation is highly dependent on phones to avoid in-person social interaction and use it as a way to spend their free time. I decided to leave my phone behind and play tennis for a couple of hours with my friend.
When not being on my phone, I did feel like I was more connected to the people and nature around me. Nevertheless, I do not believe that what I was doing is a complex skill and especially did not feel that it is one that only men need to have.
My generation has a very strong dependence on the use of electronics and practicing abstinence from checking the phone was challenging. Even so, I feel that it is a skill that should be practiced and can be developed by all people, not just men.
I believe that this skill was included in the 100 Skills Every Man Should Know list because it depicts that one is able to take charge of their life without relying on anything else, such as an electronic.
I think there would be many differences in the 100 Skills Every Woman Should Know list due to predispositions placed upon varying genders. Over time, stereotypes for the “two” genders have formed greatly, stating that women should be submissive while men take charge of varying situations. Nevertheless, some skills could’ve been listed for Women that men would not need. This could include something that would have to do with the female body as opposed to the male body. For example, a skill might include what to do in order to take care of menstrual cramps, something a man wouldn’t ever have to deal with. I believe that many skills would be on the 100 Skills Every Human Should Know list that could overlap what was put onto the male and female list. I do believe that there would be some things that wouldn't be on all three lists solely due to the human anatomy that varies between genders. Women and men, along with the other genders that are not brought up for these two lists, should share the same mental capacity in achieving different skills but I do believe their varying bodies would change a couple of skills that are a necessity.
Hi Anastasia!
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way you did while reading this article. If the skills listed in the article were so important, why is it important that only men know them? I think another reason the article annoyed me, and as you put it, brought out my inner feminist, was the description of what a modern man is meant to be. It said modern men are to be "a warrior and a diplomat, a scholar and a woodsman". Why is it that men are described this way? How would this article describe the modern woman?
For the skill that you chose, I think it is important as well. It was the skill I chose to do too. I agree that being able to entertain yourself without the use of a smartphone is important for any gender.
When discussing what would be on the list of skills for women, it's interesting that you bring up anatomy and menstruation. I cannot think of any skill on the "100 Skills Every Man Should Know" list that a woman could not do because of something such as anatomy. I think that on that list, a woman would be able to complete any of those skills. Yet there would be things on the women's list that would not apply to men because of their bodies. It was an interesting point to bring up and something that I had not thought of!
-Bri
Hi Anastasia!
ReplyDeleteI also, like Bri, couldn't agree more! Being able to entertain yourself without a smartphone is skill that shouldn't be gendered, and literally anyone can do, and would be best on a list of "100 Skills Every Human Should Know". I also think it would be interesting (and incredibly offensive) if they included "Being Able to Entertain Yourself Without a Smartphone" on a hypothetical 100 Skills Every WOMAN Should Know, because I think there is definitely a harmful stereotype that exists about women that we are preoccupied with our phones and "trivial matters" like texting and social media, so I think I would be extra offended if that "skill" was on a list for women because I think that would reinforce an awful stereotype about women. Overall, I really loved your point that "it is a skill that should be practiced and can be developed by all people, not just men" and think your article was super well written!
Is the AoM list of skills intended *only* for men? If that were true then the authors would be implying that skills like reading a book and dancing are not for non-men, but that would be pretty extreme! Is there another way of interpreting the list that is more charitable?
ReplyDeleteThe issue of anatomy is super interesting here. When one encounters a claim, a useful tactic in philosophy is often look for counterexamples. What happens if we consider the claim: "Only women need to know what to do to take care of menstrual cramps" or the claim "Men do not need to know how to take care of menstrual cramps". Can you think of possible problems or counterexamples? What is meant by "men" and "women" in these claims exactly? What about a male caregiver who wants to help someone experiencing menstrual cramps? What about a person who identifies as a man who has menstrual cramps? This topic reminds me of this cool doula collective in DC: https://www.rainbowdouladc.com/ (Can you think of anything potentially problematic with the following statement: "only women can become pregnant and give birth"?)
Hi Dr.Nora!
DeleteThank you for bringing up such interesting points. I will definitely make sure to think of counterexamples with my arguments the next time I make a claim. It is true that while women will be the only ones who need to directly deal with menstrual cramps, it can be equally important for a man who might be a single father. The reason I said this was because while it may be important for a man, it will be more important for women as it will be directly affecting their bodies. Thank you for sharing that link also! It was interesting to look at. There are many things problematic with that statement because someone who identifies as a male could still become pregnant if they are biologically female. The reason I did not include things like this in my response was that it seemed we were only focusing on the two genders of female and male, leaving out the other possibilities.