Thank you for highlighting this.

Except that is not at all what I was implying.

I'm not downplaying humility, compassion, and smarts.

In fact, I am saying those qualities ARE part of healthy masculinity.

What I AM saying it is at best half of the equation.

The other half is ambition, conquest, and aggression.

You can't shame or belittle these qualities. They exist in every man. And, if we're going to be honest, every woman. (Mean Girls, anyone?)

These are qualities of human nature.

And the solution is not to says they are wrong.

The solution is not to ignore these qualities, then go on a moral crusade against those of us who dare to display them.

That's what I mean by emasculation.

The solution is to find constructive channels for them.

Which is the entire thing missing from all of this talk about "toxic masculinity" - because there is lots of blaming, but very little solutioning on what is a better approach.

Telling men to just not be aggressive....is like telling a biologically gay person to just not be gay. It's never going to work.