THE menfolk have been receiving a battering lately because, it seems, they fail to follow the rules in their relationships with women.
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For a start, there is no excuse for domestic violence or continually verbally insulting one's partner (which can be just as damaging as physical attacks) or for abuse of alcohol or drugs that is common in such cases.
That said, we seem to have forgotten that mankind is part of the mammalian branch of the animal kingdom. It is easy to forget that, although he might have developed a big brain that has enabled him to create and build things, such as telephones that take photographs and other magical implements, he is still part of the animal branch on the evolutionary tree, the same as the monkeys, tigers and bears.
And part of that evolution is the importance of 'survival of the species'. This is deeply ingrained in all the species and it is implanted on the DNA of all of the males that he 'spreads his seed' as much as possible. We call it a sexual act. It leads to the creation of the next generation of humans. It is also implanted on the females' DNA to be 'attractive' and so 'attract' a suitable male to father her children.
In all of man's evolutionary development it has been only in the last three generations - a tiny speck on the evolutionary scale - that man has devised a reliable system that allows females to have sexual relationships without it leading to pregnancy. That, however, does not remove the inbuilt ingredient of the male makeup to 'spread his seed'. It is no different from the female's need to attract a male and to protect and care for her children. It is as simple as that.
So, all of a sudden on the evolutionary calendar the rules have changed and there has been a spate of indignation about how some males behave in their relationship with females, with complaints of inappropriate comments or behaviour.
Herein lies the problem. If we, as a branch of the animal/mammal species, want to modify the behaviour of men so they do act appropriately, surely it's not asking too much to have the rules written down, so everyone knows what is acceptable and what is not.
These 'rules' seem to be understood by some of the female community, but are a bewildering mystery to most males. For example, do the same rules apply to a wealthy and good-looking film star as they would do to, say, a local mechanic?
It seems that what is not appropriate, such as suggestive jokes, are inappropriate for some but appropriate for others who feel excluded if they are not included in the males' discussions.
So, is it asking too much to expect these 'rules of behaviour' to be written down, maybe in a booklet, the same as the rules of the road so everyone, male and female, understands them?
If, on the other hand, different people have different levels of what is 'appropriate' maybe everyone could be supplied with a badge that indicates certain levels of what is 'appropriate' for them - but whoever writes these rules should remember that we are all, male and female animals and despite our smart phones, we are still (albeit extraordinary) members of the mammalian branch of animal kingdom, the same as rabbits and elephants and puppy dogs.