About men: Why men outperform women

Men best women in almost every sphere of achievement. It is empirically true. The best chefs are men, men are better in almost every known sport, in non-athletic sports like golf or sailing, men still outrank women. Throughout biblical history, there was one female judge, no female monarchs, but endless male leaders. Throughout human history, men have built roads, bridges, empires and great structures. Men invented and perfected aircraft, motor cars, the space shuttle, weapons … they have excelled everywhere.

Yeah, I know I have just upset a lot of people, but there is an explanation for all this.

The female identity relates to who she is. The male identity comes from what he does. The patterns have been distorted by modernization, but the principles remain valid. By 12 or 13 a girl acquires a deep, instinctive sense of self and matures quickly. Her identifiers are so strong that she finds herself far quicker than guys do and the issues and pains of womanhood that she shares will all other women, further reinforces her identity. As her breast fill out, she also flowers and her contours soften. Her hair, which thanks to estrogen, generally never fails, crowns her with glory. To add to that, most healthy men look at her with wonder and so confirm her identity. They pursue her approval and worship her loveliness. No wonder that from pre-puberty, a girl starts driving her parents crazy with her self-awareness and the associated need for acceptance of that.

It is not so for guys.

Trace back through history, even to the present and you will see that men always had external identifiers. All ancient civilizations had male coming of age or initiation rituals, because a boy cannot make the transition to real manhood outside of the acceptance of other men. There is a deeper principle behind that, but suffice to say that God programmed us that way. Thus, a man is born to compete for his identity.

In nature a bird fluffs its feathers, a lion shows off its mane, a weaver displays its nest, other creatures sing for their supper and antelope square off against other males – all for the elusive approval of females. That approval instills rivalry and contributes to a strong gene pool. The tensions provoke all males in all species to gather the attributes needed for the approval of their sublimely adequate and essentially fulfilled mates. Hey I know that females also have identity issues and I think barrenness is one of the greatest of all sorrows as is the growing tendency of men to not honor their mates with the security of marriage. I also know that unloved wives are deeply wounded. However, all her needs are drawn from her inner world – her family, child bearing, the beautification of her home, her mate and her role in society. It is not so for men.

So men also compete for their mates, but their need for the approval of other men is almost as strong. To that end their minds are designed for focus, for hunting and accomplishment and their bodies are equipped for strength, power and competition. It is not so for women. They certainly are good workers and Solomon advocated teh role of women in the economy, as did other biblical writers. Indeed they bring a fresh perspective and unique capabilities, so this is not a comparative debate - it is merely intended to explore what makes men tick and how we should address their special needs.

Behind all this is a deeper mystery that is the real driver of these instincts. I will deal with this later, but it all points to our surpassing need for the approval of the Greatest Father.

(c) Peter Eleazar @ www.4u2live.com