Opinion: The most dangerous person in the world: A

young man who's broke and alone

cnn.com/2022/04/19/opinions/masculinity-toxic-men-boys-education-galloway/index.html

April 19, 2022

"Scott Galloway is a marketing professor at New York University's Stern School of Business,
and a writer and podcast host. His new streaming show No Mercy, No Malice is now airing
on CNN+. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more opinion
articles on CNN.com."

(CNN)Masculinity: It's a societal construct based on norms and behaviors we expect from
boys and men. But it's been incorrectly conflated with toxicity. I think it's interesting right up
front to define what it means to be a man.

What's masculinity in my eyes? It's choosing skills to aggregate strength, power and
influence, such that you can protect and advocate for others.
But some very unfortunate things have been packed into the concept of masculinity. For
example, not being open or expressive of emotions. Or the idea that you're not a man if you
"take sh*t" from anybody: That may make for great action films, but what results is a total
lack of grace.
Scott Galloway is host of "No Mercy, No Malice" on CNN+
I see a lot of young men who are failing, based on a number of critical measures, including
economic security, socialization and education.
As a species, humans need physical and social
contact. We thrive on deep, meaningful
bonds. Men who fail to attach to partners,
careers, or communities often grow bitter and
seek volatility and unrest. They're more
susceptible to fringe theories and they over-
index on online forums filled with conspiracy
theories, misogynistic content and
misinformation.
What feels dangerous -- and this really does
fall into the notion of toxic masculinity -- is this belief that if you're a man, you can never let
anyone get the better of you, that you should always stand your ground.
Benedict Cumberbatch eloquently explains
how 'Power of the Dog' helps fight toxic
masculinity. Are you listening, Sam Elliot?
One thing I've learned is, if someone honks at
you or cuts you off on the road, you're going
to be fine. It's not always a zero sum game.
You don't have to be on par or ahead with
every interaction.
Everyone needs a playbook. As a society, ours
used to be religion, or the set of behaviors our
parents gave us. But there's not a lot to attach to anymore. People don't go to church as often
and they no longer trust their government. Young men who don't have jobs -- who aren't
attached to work, to school, to a mate -- are much more likely to embrace misogynistic
content.
Let's start with education. Men now account for 41% of college enrollments, down from
nearly 60% in 1970. If we talk about graduation rates, it gets even worse: Since men drop out
at a faster clip than women, in the next five years there might be two female college
graduates for every one male.
Fewer men going to college means fewer men on pathways to economic prosperity. College-
educated men earn a median $900,000 more over their lifetimes than those who only
graduated from high school. And that has implications for their prospects of forming
meaningful relationships.
Boys also face unique threats which have been getting more ominous in recent years -- and
they are ill prepared for these challenges by a culture that conflates masculinity with toxicity
and aggression with strength.

GOP lawmaker: Men in US are treated like an illness in need of a cure 02:14
Men are twice as likely to overdose, three and a half times more likely to commit suicide and
are more than nine times more likely to be incarcerated.
Recent studies reveal that more than nine in
10 of mass violent attackers were male, and
more than two thirds of them were under the
age of 35. The most dangerous person in the
world is a broke and alone young male.
The reduction of economic pathways for
young people is no less serious for women,
but it appears to be less dangerous: When
young women feel shame and rage, they don't
grab AR-15s.
My advice to young men? Take 4-6 hours from the time that you spend on your phone -- or
on Twitter or Coinbase -- and reallocate it to a few things:
1) Start making money. We live in a capitalist society. The way to make a lot of money is by
just starting to make some.
2) Get super strong. You want to be fit, you want to lift heavy weights and run long distances
in your mind and in the gym. You should be able to walk in any room and believe that you
can eat everybody's lunch -- or at least outrun them.
3) Finally, get out there: Church groups, softball league, riding class, whatever. Commit to
meeting people, and quite frankly, try to have sex.
What's the elemental foundation of any society? Relationships. Find relationships. Get out
there. Man up.