We are in a bit of a quandry at our current state in society. Men are told what they can or cannot do, while women are pushed into more masculine behaviors. When you sit back and observe what is happening, it is actually quite a fascinating social experiment...
One thing I am fairly certain of though is that women have entered the workforce and are here to stay. That has had a dramatic influence on relationships, and our general culture because men have failed to adapt to this. When you add the welfare state, and divorce imbalance, the issue is intensely magnified.
What I often see as the problem is men's dated perception of marriage. This means that a man works, and woman takes care of the kids and home. And this is where it gets interesting because many of the other tasks that required attention of a man (mowing the lawn, construction, general housework, etc) have either been automated or are provided by cheap labor (illegals, competition). For example, more and more men pay for home renovations instead of doing the work themselves. Oil changes, car washes, haircuts, fast food... All of these have made our lives better, but also removed some necessity for a masculine presence.
As a result of technology, the role of the sexes have changed dramatically...
A. Women still care for their children and homes as expected. But now women also work 8+ hours a day.
B. Men, on the other hand, still work as expected, but have filled their nonworking hours with leisure activities.
So, looking solely at men in the last 20 years...
- more leisure time
- same time with children, although this is increasing.
- same time performing household duties
- less physical activity (speaking generally)
And add to that...
- high divorce rates
- advantages to women in court
- kids tend towards mothers
- society shames "being a man"
It's no wonder the quality of men are in sharp decline, but we can't ignore how much of it falls on each man. It is a systemic failure of adjusting to a changing relationship landscape that has led to this mess.
"Bringing home the bacon" just isn't enough any more, and I'm not sure it ever will be again. Relationships in the 21st century require more fathering, better sex, more ambition, and stoicism.
Anything less than that will be discarded...