Men,

Today, you must be a feminist or an egalitarian to be even considered competent as a young man. I internalized it and churned it up and finally tasted the fruits of understanding it.

Listen. I was a feminist and considered myself aligned with strong feminist views. I went to events that wanted to put women in power, or to expose the victims that women are. That even verbally asking for consent in kissing was cool and obviously rational (never have I felt more dead) (remember that most communication is non-verbal). I lived with women and nodded with them when we shared our stories. I thought I was, at least partially, guilty for all the wrongs that bad men did in the past (as of today, the top-searched Google hit after typing in sexual assault is "sexual assault vs rape". I wonder who could be trying to look that up). I had to be the best guy I could that also helped out his friends. I was the nurse. I bought into the third-wave of feminism (I wonder what happened to first two). I knew I was on the right side. I knew it was the only real side that would lead humans to peace. That when the game of power was to be vanquished, or forgotten, and equality to reign over all humans. But it always competed with this idea of natural selection. Why couldn't animals have it right? Well then... why couldn't plants be equal too? Hmm can we even hurt the earth by digging and pick up rocks if they happen to already be there? Wouldn't that be terran assault? It led to these ideas. Equality never clicked. I realized it isn't going to happen. There is no reason for you to be feminist or align yourself as such. It isn't to your benefit or tomorrow's sons' benefit.

You know the voice inside your head that says: "Be yourself. Love yourself for who you are and that everything will be okay." - this is the voice of complacency. It is feminine. It reminds you that you did everything you could and yesterday's activity relinquishes you from today's duty. Slack off. Live in comfort. Eat that extra Oreo. Be okay. Love the mother.

But what about about the voice that says: "Be more and achieve. Set up goals and tell yourself that you're going to earn that promotion and that fit body. Don't die as you are now" - this is the voice of power. It is masculine. It tells you to go harder and push more. Push and feel the pain. Survive the rush. Lift for that extra set. Run the extra mile. Do more. Destroy the father.

They follow one another; you naturally feel like resting after a long day of ardor. Yet, look at someone and you will know which one they ignore. Is the obese man-child the one that tells himself that it's okay to order another box of chicken tenders and go see another action-movie OR that he should drop the chicken, the movie, his refridgerator, and expend all of excess?

Is this man-child not also the one that claims himself as more knowledgable and wise than his fit counterparts? That the game of power is an illusion and set up to make us all feel bad? In the end, the one that can outrun the fire, the tiger, the storm, the plague, and the mob is the one that will live.

The word empowerment is being thrown around recently. You know what it's tied to. Well power is quite the game to play. Either someone has it or someone doesn't. They would rather take it away from someone and you would give it to someone else. Did the latter earn that power? No. They must earn power. They must earn achievements. They must go far because they took steps and turn them into strides. They must ignore defamation and they must outwit their contenders. They must jump over the moon because they had the team. Not by placing the finish line closer. Not by letting someone off from crimes. Not by pushing life into redundancy. Not by replacing the binary gender or displacing sexual orientation from the binary. We are a sexual species and, really truly actually, that comes down to two things.

Not everyone can be powerful and, yes, it is a damnable game. Don't wait.