⚖️ I am against any form of injustice - whether it concerns physical characteristics, psychological traits, gender, origin, religion, or interests. This is not just about social peace but also about fairness and the foundations of constructive coexistence. Aggressive rhetoric cannot be helpful, as it builds walls. Journalists must work responsibly to avoid reinforcing harmful narratives.

🎯 In addition to the rise of right-wing extremist forces, I am also frustrated by the dichotomous view of gender. It is not helpful to portray men as the root of all evil. If only about 1-2 % of men become violent, one cannot act as if men, in general, are incapable of resolving conflicts in a normal way. This aggressive rhetoric against men, in particular, demonstrates that the problem cannot lie solely with men. 20–30% of men have been violent at least once in their lives (e.g., in a fight, domestic violence, or in other situations). Most of these occurred at a young age and drunk.

📰 We are not incapable of talking about or regulating our emotions, but the way we are portrayed in the media might make us start believing that we are (gaslighting). Just because measurable differences exist in studies, they should not be taken out of context to demonize men!

🔎 Prejudices regarding empathy, in particular, are often distorted, even though the studies themselves emphasize their limited significance. It is about respect and decency. About objectivity in pursuit of a common goal!

🎣 Polarization generates attention, engagement, and ultimately profit - whether in the media, politics, or social networks. Clear enemy images make complex problems seem easier to understand and emotionalize the debate, which in turn leads to more clicks, higher ratings, or more votes.

🐾 The fatal thing is that such narratives often take on a life of their own. Once a group has been established as "guilty", every single misconduct from within that group is perceived disproportionately and reinforces the stereotype. At the same time, a dynamic emerges in which factual discussions become increasingly difficult because any contradiction is seen as "trivialization" or "taking sides" with the other group.

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.

Women are generally considered to be the empathetic gender. I can't really confirm that. I think the term benevolence is more appropriate here. I think women tend to be more benevolent, whereas empathy is a skill that can be developed regardless of gender. I think many people don't know the difference between morality and empathy. Empathy means being open to the perspective and needs of others. Morality is an ideal that everyone has for themselves. Forcing this ideal on others has nothing to do with empathy.

One example is that men are often told: You don't need to build muscles. You don't need to reinforce your masculinity. But that immediately makes a judgment, then connects it with a personal ideal and then tries to talk the other person into adopting that very same ideal. That is not empathy, even if it stems from a motive of benevolence. That is moralizing.

In fact, even if the motives are fundamentally different, the effect is not so dissimilar to the infamous gaslighting (a subtle form of violence). As a man, you can become just as insecure and doubt yourself as women and non-binary people. Nobody - regardless of gender - wants to be told what they can and cannot want.

For men, physical strength is not a universal need, but a common one that is in the nature of men. Likewise, dominance or strength through superiority are completely natural drives - which, by the way, also occur in women.

In a society, it is not about setting rules about who can be what, but about everyone being able to live out their needs freely within a socially acceptable framework without being reduced to that or judged as a human being. When we talk about toxic masculinity, we mean a dynamic that is harmful - for example, aggressive behavior that harms others (that is, not socially acceptable). But if we keep talking about toxic masculinity, we must also talk about toxic femininity. Toxic femininity, for example, is the moralizing behavior I described. And if we now separate ourselves from the idea that both things can be stereotypically assigned to genders, we might be able to find a more objective basis for discussion that is not based on demonization but on empathy.

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.