Wow! Imagine being "booted" for this!!

[fishwax]

15. I agree that what you said is not the same as what he said

There are key differences, including his insistence on inherency and your somewhat speculative suggestion. More importantly, the quote you highlighted of his was offered as an explanation/definition of masculinity, while you were describing behaviors as masculine/feminine (which is significantly different from defining masculinity). So you were making a more measured and nuanced gesture. And yet, there are similarities in that each associates masculinity with violence, since you suggested that fighting (which is violent) is masculine, and distinguishes masculinity from loving/nurturing behavior.

To be clear, I agree that saying fighting is masculine is not the same as saying violence is masculine or men are violent. (Of course, if one is arguing that masculinity is a social construct, then saying "masculinity is violent" also isn't really the same thing as saying "men are violent." But the "inherently" in his quote certainly clouds that issue.)