I have witnessed so many amazing changes in our society, and in general the world, during my life that it would be hard to list them. However here are a few: changes in industrialization, the development of the computer and electronics along with so many social changes. I want to talk about a major social change that few have talked about, a change so revolutionary compared to what humanity experienced since we lived in our caves, over a million years ago, that it may have gone unnoticed by most. This change in direction will cause our society to go to places one can only imagine; I think they will be good places.
Before presenting this idea, I need to create a small platform from which I will leap. Since the beginning of humankind, males have been the dominant character in the human experiment. With his superior strength and speed, it seemed natural that the male make the important decisions in almost every situation. This being said, woman obeyed for fear of punishment or abandonment by the stronger man. As we progressed into a more sophisticated society, physical strength remained the determinant of social rank. One can see this with the preponderance of tall men in important positions. There were major exceptions (Napoleon for one) to this generalization, but overwhelmingly men in authority were taller. Many of our presidents have been tall.
This male-dominated society was moving along relatively unchallenged until World War II when women were necessary to help build machines that the men used to fight the war. Many women realized that they could do the jobs that, up to that point, were designated men’s jobs. For the status quo, this was the beginning of the end to a male-dominated society. Thus, women began to emerge from a sheltered existence to prominent positions in the world. One must realize that this humble beginning was not readily accepted by a male-controlled world and faced severe opposition in subtle and not so subtle ways. Any woman who bucked the male dominated system was characterized as a rebellious person and in some ways even ostracized by the larger society. The small number of women who stood up to their male counterparts oftentimes faced severe ridicule and were told to ‘get back to the kitchen where they belonged’. This was not an easy time to be a woman who was anxiously waiting to join the men’s club.
As most of us know, the times have radically changed, and will continue to change. Thankfully, women now hold many prominent positions in government and the corporate world. In our last presidential election we almost elected a woman president! Now I am prepared to make my leap from current dogma. I have been thinking about this idea for many years, as I watched changes take place in our world and am finally ready to make my prediction of a new order that we may all be entering.
When I speak of these following issues, it is in general terms and does not include every male or female. I am going to talk about a trend, and no doubt there are exceptions to every scenario I could present so just read to understand that this is merely a generalized statement.
I have often thought this: if women were in charge, there would be far less war. Let’s face it, we men are testosterone-driven and many times the big T gets in the way of our making good decisions. This is simply biology! We are controlled by the biological reality that men are programmed to be the aggressor, which oftentimes is expressed in sexual behavior. On the other hand, women are estrogen-powered, thus reacting less aggressively and less likely to react in stupid, inappropriate ways. So, I am beginning to imagine a woman-influenced world where peaceful settlements are the norm rather than the exception.
The first time that I noticed this was in the classroom as a teacher. I began to see students electing more young ladies to be heads of clubs, and as class presidents. It was not unusual for young ladies to be trying out for the football team and dominating the top-ten grade-point average list. Over the last 40 years more ladies are attending college and graduating in unprecedented numbers. Another important attribute is learning to be outspoken! As in all social change, there has been and will be considerable resistance, but I believe in the end, if women continue to become more involved in the management of this world, we stand a better chance of surviving, and just maybe we will be a more peaceful and prosperous society.
I feel as though this constitutes the removal of a large weight from the shoulders of men. Along with the responsibility of being the decision-maker and protector always, is the realization that many of the decisions we males make are inherently inadequate or at best misguided. Of course, women are capable of making their own mistakes, but I see the female portion of our population as more thoughtful and protective of the life around them. After all, what else is there without life, and which gender is more involved in the procreation and protection of life?
Although we men are statistically stronger, faster and usually better at mathematics and music, our dominant role in the world is changing as we speak. Women tend to be more cautious and thoughtful in their decision-making. People generally do not like to hear this, but we are chemical factories with a large chemical/electrical battery running the show. Our behaviors are a complex mixture of millions of years of evolution, genetics, hormones, environment and social norms. As our world evolves, the need for strong, fast men is diminishing, clearing the way for a more feminine and peaceful existence. Despite the fact I am a man, I whole-heartily accept my new role as an equal partner in shaping the destiny of mankind. We have run the show alone for several million years, and the results are not impressive: perpetual war, hunger, corruption, mass extinction and the possible environmental collapse of the world. It is time for a change in the command structure. We had our chance, and now it is time to try it another way. GO LADIES!
