Comments on: The ‘essential difference’ between men and women: or why it’s not our brains we should be focusing on. With help from Kate Bush, Ólöf Arnalds and 10 Finnish social workers!

By: Michael Jones

Michael Jones — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 07:02:21 +0000

Hi Nova!! I think you are absolutely right!!! I need some guidance on this, so if anybody out there could help me find some books about the male experience that are as insightful as ‘The Wise Wound’, ‘Our Bodies Ourselves’ or ‘Women’s Bodies: Women’s Wisdom’ then I think I will be a better man for having read them!
Thanks for taking the time to reply to my post. Please share it around!!!
Michael

By: Novalee Richard

Novalee Richard — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 18:57:39 +0000

The blog post is really great. I love how entertaining and informative it is. As a women, I also appreciate that the post asks questions and doesn’t claim to have all of the answers. I also love that the idea that you have to explore the “essential difference” through women’s reproductive systems rather than our brains came to you by talking to a woman. I would be interested if there is a way to compare men’s cycles and the way that they think to their female counterparts. I feel that if we are asserting that there is a difference than we should compare and contrast rather than just examine women. The reason that I feel that this is important is because men have been asserting that women’s cycles effects their ability to perform tasks in an inferior way compared to men for thousands of years. I feel that if we are going to compare women in this way we should also look at men’s cycles as well and acknowledge that those cycles exist.

By: Michael Jones

Michael Jones — Sat, 19 Sep 2015 06:43:55 +0000

Ah, yes, testosterone! Is this the place I should explore? Is there an equivalent to the classic ‘The Wise Wound’ that explores the history of testosterone and what happens when men are allowed to explore creating harmony between their minds, emotions, spirituality and bodies, including understanding and harnessing the ebb and flow of testosterone, and the impact this has on creativity?
The search is on!!
Many thanks John!

By: Michael Jones

Michael Jones — Sat, 19 Sep 2015 06:35:22 +0000

Hi John! Thank you for your reply. Yes… yoga… Mind/body connection… This, among other things is what Penelope Shuttle and Peter Redgrove were looking towards in their book The Wise Wound. There is a powerful section that rejects mainstream (and essentially male) medicine’s approach to ‘managing’ ‘women’s problems’. The authors suggest an approach that connects a woman’s mind, emotions, spiritual development to their monthly cycle, and how this impacts on their creativity.
But what happens when men do this? Do we have a male equivalent to the ‘Moon Cycle’?
I have a feeling that you can point me in the right direction!
Best wishes from Michael

By: Dr John Cornwall

Dr John Cornwall — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 18:21:57 +0000

As far as reproductive systems go…I am convinced that modern lifestyles (and educational practices) are not conducive to the amount of testosterone flowing around boys and men’s bodies. I believe that this is cause of much anti-social and violent and potentially violent behaviour. We could extend this to an overdose of testosterone causing male posturing in politics and the need to exert power and even leading to war. Better stop before I go too far! African saying – “The young men of the village must be initiated and tested (i.e learn to control their hormonal drives – my comment!)) otherwise they will burn down the village”.

By: Dr John Cornwall

Dr John Cornwall — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 18:16:30 +0000

Great Dylan song! I still sing and play it for myself sometimes… and Kate bush is always good. Thanks for the post Michael, some very interesting propositions and the underlying theme at the end. It is so easy (and sometimes necessary) to use generalisations (or pre-existing constructs) about people in our thinking and actions…and the same problems occur with gender as with disability. We’re surprised when a child with autism doesn’t behave as we expect a child with autism to behave or a person in a wheelchair starts to ‘expect’ access to a shop or service (rather than beg for it). You have pointed out the mind-body connection and thus the influence of male and female physiology on thinking. In Eastern terms the neck is called ‘The Pillar of Heaven’ indicating that in Yoga and other Eastern martial arts the mind-body connection has long been accepted. There is also much to be considered as to whether the ‘difference’ is really hard wired (neurological/genetic) or soft wired (neurological/social/behavioural/cognitive). The classic caricature of girls growing up talking a lot and developing dexterity and boys running around hitting things with sticks, although crude, has some element of truth. We look at a child and their physical gender causes a change in adults behaviour, treating them slightly (or greatly) different … and so differences to a great extent are also ‘grown’, I suspect. Communication and physical/social interactions also changing cognitive and neurological structures.

Great blog Michael – lots of food for thought… but its now time for real food, dinner is on the table! Good wishes, John.

By: Michael Jones

Michael Jones — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 21:10:20 +0000

Hi Trevor
Great to hear from you! I have just been asked a question about this post that you may know the answer to… If we assume that the essential difference is to do with our reproductive systems, then has anything been written about men and the influence our reproductive systems have on us?
I have some thought on this
Hope to hear some more from you!!
Michael

By: Trevor Stevens

Trevor Stevens — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 07:57:07 +0000

Thanks for this post Michael. Some really thought-provoking stuff in here.