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How Masculinity Is Power

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Masculinity has a huge role when talking about people in a position of power. Society's expectations of what a man should be--has caused some men to become corrupt and abuse the power they have. Noah Brand writer for The Good Man Project stated in his article, “Masculinity as Power” that “Men in our culture are supposed to be active; they are those who act, they are defined by their actions. Masculinity supposed to be something one does, one performs; it’s not simply granted to someone for identifying as a man, but it is earned through unceasing hard work” (Brand). Men feel pressured to be masculine and our culture tends to advertise it through television and social media that masculinity can be obtained through violent or aggressive actions. …show more content…
Depending on the person power can take their behaviors and habits and enhance them. If someone who is known to be a very giving person was to obtain power it is likely that individual will become more giving. It works the same with someone who may be known to be cold-hearted and rude; if they’re given power their rudeness and cold heart will become worse. Scott Barry Kaufman a scientific director of The Imagination Institute in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania says that “Power isn’t inherently good or evil. Yes, it’s true that power fundamentally alters perception. As Adam Galinsky and colleagues put it, “powerful people roam in a very different psychological space than those without power.” Power increases confidence, optimism, risk-taking, sensitivity to internal thoughts and feelings, goal-directed behavior and cognition, and creativity” (Kaufman). Power can have a positive effect on people. There are many compassionate teachers, politicians, humanitarians, and others who wield power, who genuinely want to make the world a better place. Power amplifies the person. It gave already existing personality dispositions and tendencies a louder voice and increases the chances that these tendencies will be given fuller expression. Though given to the wrong person that power will amplify unwanted personalities that make a person violent or very egotist. This type of person in …show more content…
While highly useful in situations where a threat of immediate harm exists, it is the most debilitating and dangerous of emotions. The Creature expresses to Frankenstein that he could lose everything if he goes against the monster’s wishes. To show him who has the power, the creature threatens him with violence. This makes Frankenstein unable to escape the monster or protect his family from the consequences of his action. He had finally lost all control of his environment, making his worst thoughts about the Creature come true. He couldn’t protect Clerval from the monster’s revenge and even guns were unable to save his fiance Elizabeth on their wedding night. When people have the power over fear, so many lives can be affected by it and in this case, Frankenstein’s life was over. “Individuals looking to take advantage of, and manipulate others, have long realized the power of fear” (Fear and Social Control). When a person is gripped by fear of a threat, real or imagined, their rational and higher thinking capacities shut down, making them easily manipulable by anyone that promises safety from the threat. This is why Frankenstein struggled when trying to find a solution to solve his problem with the

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