The way masculinity has been defined has changed throughout history. In ancient times, pharaohs' masculinity was defined by their beards, eyeliners, and nemes headdresses. In industrial times, a masculine man was the provider and one in charge of the house. But in our current times, masculinity has strayed away from its rigid definitions. This has led to both a decrease in toxic masculinity, and also to many men not knowing their purpose in life anymore. Because of this, we should get rid of masculinity entirely, as it has a toxic hold on people’s lives, and redefining it further wouldn’t bring any good to society.

Masculinity has always projected toxic expectations and stereotypes onto men, and even women. Defining masculinity means we see an ideal version of a man. Those who do not meet those ideals are not considered masculine enough and are judged by those who do meet the ideals. The ideals of masculinity today stem from the 1950s nuclear family, and it has led to catastrophic effects on the way men are expected to behave. Assertive, strong, provider, and emotionless have been words that define masculinity for decades. Back then, men were expected to handle all affairs outside of the home, such as getting a job, being involved in politics, and taxes. And although we recognize this as toxic masculinity today, many men still have to deal with these expectations and are shamed if they don’t follow them. Getting rid of masculinity would take a weight off many men’s shoulders.

Because of masculinity, women have also felt the need to change and fit a certain standard. Due to the toxic expectations placed on men, where they are seen as the providers and dominant gender, women have been placed below men in many respects. They are seen as weaker both mentally and physically and don’t make as much money as men. Masculinity has not only had detrimental effects on men, but it has placed unfair expectations on women too. Many women have been freed from the toxic ideals of masculinity by becoming independent, but to many men, women are still subservient and unable to care for themselves. These types of men still think that a woman should be the one handling domestic affairs and the children. They also think that women are objects to be sexualized and used for fertility. And they believe this due to the way masculinity has been defined. By getting rid of masculinity, we get rid of the terrible way men perceive women.

If we keep redefining masculinity, it will only bring harm to society and future generations. If we constantly redefine masculinity, what's the purpose of having a definition anyway? Words inevitably change meaning over time, but why should each consecutive generation worry about redefining the expectations passed down to them? Plus, even if we keep redefining masculinity, there are always those in opposition who will resist change. It is not worth it when people are in constant opposition to one another and are pushing their own ideas of what masculinity should be. For example, today, some men still prefer the 1950s masculinity definition. And others prefer throwing it away completely. This is why we are even debating the topic of masculinity in the first place. So, the simple solution would be to get rid of the idea of masculinity entirely. Stop putting expectations on how men and women should act, and society will be a lot more free, and people will feel less judged to be themselves.

Masculinity should be done away with, as it only repeats a cycle of continuous harm to every generation of men and women. If we keep redefining masculinity, we are only continuing to place harmful stereotypes on the next generation, and we will never get out of the cycle. If we got rid of masculinity, people would be free to live without expectations and the fear of being judged.