It is evident that our society is increasingly characterized by a dominance of femininity and a decline in masculinity. In universities, the number of high-achieving female students is on the rise, and in the workplace, successful women are becoming more prevalent. As a university teacher, I have witnessed a decline in the number of boys who are hardworking, love to study, have ambition, and a sense of responsibility. A direct consequence of this is that in high-end professions, there are more outstanding white-collar women and an increasing number of older single women. They struggle to find male peers who match them (even if they lower their standards) and, unwilling to compromise too much, remain single.
Some say this is a result of the one-child policy, where families dote on their only son, thus weakening his competitive abilities. Others attribute it to the food we consume, which is laden with hormones that feminize boys, making them more effeminate. There are also claims that the lack of male teachers in kindergartens and elementary schools leads to boys being feminized by their teachers, making it difficult for them to compete with girls who are naturally more feminine.
Clearly, these reasons may all hold some truth, but I believe the root cause lies in the education of children. Today’s education system significantly reinforces the aspect of obedience. At home, parents emphasize that children should be obedient and not mischievous; in kindergartens and schools, there is an even greater emphasis on obedience and compliance. This pressure on boys to be obedient is often more intense than for girls, and over time, it has tamed them.
After watching several videos of bullying among middle and high school students, I noticed that the majority of the aggressors in these videos are girls. In our childhood, even if bullying occurred, it was primarily a boy’s issue; now, the gender dynamics have shifted. Similarly, fights that used to happen among boys are now much less common. While fighting is not a good thing, it seems abnormal for a boy to have never been in a fight.
For parents, emphasizing obedience in boys likely stems from a fear of accidents; with only one precious child, any incident would be disastrous. For kindergartens and schools, the fear of incidents is also present, as any trouble can lead to significant issues for the institution. Our education system inherently promotes obedience, teaching people to comply from a young age, which is a fundamental aspect of education. This reinforcement comes from educational authorities, schools, and teachers, all of whom find it suitable. It is all about obedience, compliance, and subservience, which are inherently feminine traits.
Obedience and compliance bring benefits and rewards, which is a reality faced by every student. Even extracurricular activities and physical exercise have been downplayed; students are focused solely on studying and doing exercises to achieve high scores, which earns them admiration from parents and neighbors, as well as societal rewards. Thus, students are driven towards paths that promise rewards. In fact, this type of education harms girls as well, but the pressure on boys is greater, leading to more significant distortions.
I have noticed that today’s boys are gradually losing even the ability to be mischievous. They do not fight or engage in physical activities, not because they do not want to, but because they have been suppressed for so long that their abilities have atrophied. One year, I admitted a doctoral student in his forties who, when playing soccer with classmates twenty years younger than him, would always end up knocking them over. When unreasonable policies were introduced at school, he was the only one among many doctoral students who dared to voice dissent.
When a person is overly suppressed in thought and spirit, boys inevitably become feminized.
