To follow up on my last blog, Thank You Trump Boys, I want to explore some of the myths of what I all the White Male System/Addictive System/ Technological, Mechanistic, Materialistic System.

In my first book, published in 1981, as a young second-wave feminist, very early on I realized that we were not just dealing with personal and interpersonal issues as women and men in our Western (world) culture. We were dealing with unconscious, deeply engrained systemic issues that had developed over centuries.

And, although these beliefs and issues caused problems in our everyday lives as men and women, the issue was much bigger than individual learning and behavior and required healing and change on a systemic level.

With further research, it also became evident that there were some cultures in the world (usually considered “less developed” cultures) where these kinds of problems had not become so “systemic.” I was fascinated with them and have spent many hours interacting with these cultures which the more “developed cultures” consider “primitive.”

I have found that, quite often, these seemingly “primitive cultures” are less developed technologically. And they seem to operate out of levels that are on a much higher level emotionally, spiritually and interpersonally. These higher levels of functioning have almost been lost with our technological “advancement.”

An old Australian Aboriginal Elder told me, “You white people, years ago, decided to go the way of science and technology. It’s not that science and technology are bad – They’re not! It is just that you have not grown enough spiritually to have developed a science and technology that will not destroy the planet. We hope you realize this before it is too late.”

These words struck deep in my heart as I worked with individual people as a psychotherapist. Often I saw that no matter what kind of personal work they did and how they improved, they were caught in a mammoth spider web of the culture and its beliefs and processes that was much, much bigger than any one person. That spider web has a great deal of unconscious influence on our feelings, behaviors, and beliefs.

Unfortunately, men seem to be caught in the web more powerfully than women at this point in history. This phenomenon is probably because they have been the major inventors of this “web” and they have held the power and influence in it.

• As in The Trump “Boys” who I blogged about earlier, this artificial White Male System (WMS) has been destructive to men, to women, and to the planet.

There are five myths (belief systems!) that are inherent in this system which make it extremely difficult (for males especially) to shift.

• The first myth is that the White Male System is the only thing that exists. It is reality.

It is awfully difficult to challenge a defined, believed in “reality.”

No wonder women do not report sexual misconduct and abuse.

• The second myth is that the White Male System is innately superior. Here we see another distorted aspect of the WMS. If it is the only thing that exists, how could it be superior? To what? Unfortunately we find that those who believe that they make up the rules also believe that they have no need whatsoever to be logical and consistent.

• The third myth is that the White Male System knows and understands everything. This means that if there are spheres of knowledge that cannot be understood by its methods and procedures (science and technology), they simply do not exist. (This includes women’s wisdom, native wisdom, spiritually – need I go on?) Women and their awarenesses, experiences and wisdom have been defined out of existence (except in their appointed “roles”) by this system.

• The fourth myth is that it is possible to be totally logical, rational and objective. WMS men spend a great deal of time screaming at women that they are not logical, rational and objective.

• The fifth and final myth of the WMS is that it is possible to be God as defined by the WMS/AS/TMMS. That God knows and understands everything, is Reality, is innately superior, is totally rational, logical and objective and CONTROLS everything. These are the very same myths and defects we find in addicts.

I find it very interesting that the characteristics of these myths are very present in men that consider themselves Alpha Males.

• I suppose we can see these behaviors as a time lag in the development of the species.

• Also, it is important to remember that these attitudes and beliefs take a great toll on men, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

It is very costly to women to buy in to these myths and try to live them.

Let’s make something better.

Together!