These days the news are inundanted with stories of so-called “toxic masculine” behaviors and actions, which include school shootings, mass shootings, bullying, racism, domestic abuse, sexual harassment and sexual abuse. Where does toxic masculinity come from?

What is toxic masculinity?

The term “toxic masculinity” is used to describe certain traditional male traits expressed in an exaggerated way. The hypermasculine traits include extreme dominance, greed, promiscuity, excess self-reliance, suppressed emotions, and often violence against women and minorities.

• This is the core of the “macho man” or the toxic alpha male, who can be a world leader or a corporate executive, toxic jock, prisoner, soldier or a school kid, who exhibits sexism, racism, classism, ableism, body shaming, homophobia, transphobia, islamophobia, etc.
• This is very different from positive masculine traits, such as providing for one’s family, empowering one’s children, having a generous heart, insight, inner strength, patience, competence, courtesy, equality, teamwork, solidarity with family, friends, community, etc.

According to Raewyn Connell, PhD (“Masculinities“), there is no one pattern of masculinity, but multiple masculinities found in different cultures and different periods of history. For example:

• Different masculinities are created and reinforced in schools, street gangs, athletic teams, work places, corporations, armies and governments. Some are more toxic than others.
• Some cultures value soldiers and military service or use violence as the ultimate test of masculinity, while others regard soldiering, militarism and violence as contemptible.

The “male role” is defined by the culturally dominant “hegemonic masculinity.” It reflects the privilege and unequal power held by different groups of men in our patriarchal system, which is based on lower masculine principles and having a “master” tell you how to live your life.

• Many men (and society) pay a heavy price for toxic masculinity, which is associated with trauma, violence, substance abuse, recklessness, criminal activity, and death (see The Rebirth of Macho:Toxic Masculinity and Authoritarianism | Psychology Today).
• The good news is that gender roles are dynamic and able to change over time.

We are now in the process of deconstructing all our broken political, governmental, financial, religious, educational, health care, housing, food and transportation systems. They are out-dated, dysfunctional and no longer serving the whole, as noted by Nora Herold and others.

Where does toxic masculinity come from?

You could say it’s both nature and nurture, but we need to understand a few things first:

• In our true state, we are purely sentient whole beings with energies that are totally neutral or genderless in nature. When we incarnate, we use different energy sets associated with the DNA and chromosomes to construct our male or female human form.
• But there is no such thing as “male” or “female” energy. Energy cannot be classified as masculine or feminine, electrical or magnetic, because those are a function of energy and not a descriptor for the energy itself, according to Guy Needler (electrical engineer).

Therefore, the yin and yang, feminine and masculine forms are a dualistic function associated with the physical universe, just like the negative and positive poles of a magnet or a battery. One pole isn’t better or less “toxic” than the other. Both poles are needed for things to flow.

The ancient I Ching system describes 64 different “gates” that represent different states of “beingness” that we come to experience on this planet. These gates can be arranged in a sphere, that pairs each gate with its exact mirror opposite (see Yin/Yang Qualities below).

• For example, Gate 1 (Creative) is the most yang gate, which is paired with the most yin Gate 2 (Receptive). Similarly, Gate 44 (Yang Quality) is paired with Gate 24 (Yin Quality) and so on. The further from the poles the gate is located, the less polarized it is.
• The gates at the equator of the sphere (Other Qualities) have equal yin and yang qualities. For example, Gate 21 (Control/Authority) sits at the equator, which means the state of being controlling or controlled is neither yin nor yang. Both sides can play that game!

We choose a set of these gates as a soul blueprint to experience and work on in each lifetime, but we are exposed to all the gates in our collective field with family, friends and humanity.

• Each gate has a wide spectrum of expression that ranges from the lowest lows (“toxic” shadows/victim states) to the highest highs (“siddhis” seen in enlightened people).
• The “toxic” behaviors are the result of operating from fear (repression) or anger (reaction), which is seen in people, who perceive themselves to be totally separated from others. They don’t feel safe, secure or truly connected with other beings or the Source (“God”). Sad.

The Yin/Yang pairs of 64 Gates in their lower frequency (“toxic”) expression:

Note: The gate locations in the sphere are based on J. Drazny’s brilliant model of the Yi-Globe. The qualities are based on Richard Rudd’s work (“Gene Keys”).