Advanced Essay #4: Fragility of the Ego

In society, one of the effective ways for you to control people is to use violence. Whether it be something as major as colonizing a country using military force or emotionally manipulating someone into doing what you please, violence is used normally and effectively. We see this done so often, especially with domestic violence. It seems as though we have created this mentality that encourages men to resort to physical violence when they are angry as a source of release of that emotion. We have taught them that using violence is the only way to react appropriately without questioning their manliness or even sexuality, especially in the confines of their own home. Why should we suffer from men’s fragile ego?

Perhaps this easiness to use physical abuse towards family members comes swiftly to men because of the familiarity with them. They believe that since they're so comfortable with each other, their familial bond won’t allow them to confide in other people for help. Also, because of the physiological process in physically hurting someone, in a man’s case, stems from the ideology that abuse is the only way to solve the issue. Every time their emotions are projected into a physical sense they are undeniably proving their dominance and manliness. In their mind no one can defeat them, they are the most powerful.

This mindset was instilled into their brains long before they were born. They were taught to be this way. In clarification, it is fair to say that not all men are like this. However, it is true that this is the type of behavior men learn as they grow older. Like the way to be a man is to fit the description of a person who is ready to use physical violence at all means to protect his emotions. This is at the extent of women and their children, and others affected by male violence. This can be in the form of physical or emotional violence. According to FindLaw, “Emotional abuse involves the destruction of the victim's self-worth, and is brought about by persistent insult, humiliation, or criticism.” It takes a certain degree of psychological manipulation to be able to harm their family members. I believe this is what makes it easier for them to do so, since they know them so well. When men are abusing family members, they are usually taking out anger and frustration from an outside forced onto undeserving people.   

In most cases of domestic violence, mainly committed by men or father figures in the household, the abuser is manipulative and uses their significant other or children as their emotional outlet. The root issue here, is the need for these abusers to hurt the ones they claim to love. This cycle of abuse continues on and on, much like the ideology to use physical violence to prove male dominance continues on and on.

This severely affects society negatively. It’s like we constantly and purposely lead men to this end. We all recognize the wrongness of it, but we choose to ignore to be able to carry on with our lives. It’s time we break this cycle and bring a light to this issue, in order to stop this injustice. We will longer tolerate a male dominant system that continues to abuse us. We will stay silent no longer.