I’m not a man. But were it not for my father’s prayers that he be blessed with another daughter, I probably would have been one.
I found myself nose deep in “The Male Brain” this month, a fantastic account of the neurological mechanisms that make men, men. I also found some scary explanations for my own behaviour; surprisingly I’m very characteristic of the opposite sex.
In the same way I always offer solutions instead of sympathise when people tell me their problems, so I found the men I talked to this month could be just as indicative of women. The line between the sexes is finer than we’ll admit, and Mars and Venus have us unnecessarily addicted to a battle of the planets.
Unfortunately, men often get the raw end of the deal because their voices are heard less. Whether this is of their own doing or not seems irrelevant.
When I was telling my friend (who suggested I include more of the male perspective in South Asian Parent) that I would dedicate an issue to men, he promptly pointed out this would only further alienate them.
He was right.
But the only way I could draw attention to the unique and valuable perspectives men have to offer was to fill a whole magazine with it. Why? Because the truth of the matter is women do talk more willingly about themselves, share unabashedly about their lives, and more openly admit their weaknesses–perhaps because they are allowed to.
The male perspective often gets lost in this sea of female chatter, and the male brain is wired to give up after a while. So this June issue is our effort to truly hear what men have to say.
And if you listen carefully, whether man or woman, you’ll find it sounds surprisingly familiar.
