A Manual for Being Human

She started to feel numb. Like nothing mattered. Because this is what can happen when rage is not attended to, and when we feel we cannot make change – it can lead to a feeling of numbness and emptiness.

Questions for you: when you wer

Most people are worrying about the same things. Worrying about how they look, come across, will perform, will be judged. Most people are focused inward and not on you. This can be a liberating realisation.

They may find ways to numb out – teens rarely know how to manage big emotions; they haven’t been taught the skills, so numbing through alcohol and drugs may be where they turn.

The bottom line is, as we struggled through our teens,
trying to become the people we are today, most of us wanted our adults to be close to us, to see us and support us, even though we didn’t necessarily show it.

AND we need to show people of all genders (particularly boys) that showing emotion, being kind, caring and open to being taught by others is not a threat to their manhood but is in fact deeply important.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg said, ‘A gender line… helps to keep women not on a pedestal, but in a cage.’ I believe this is utterly true. But I would argue it keeps almost everyone in a cage – not just women.

If we are to reach a place of equality, we need to show people of all genders that they can succeed and be taken seriously. AND we need to show people of all genders (particularly

don’t cry. They are ‘trouble’ and can’t be trusted to manage their sexual urges – ‘boys will be boys, after all’ – which is an incredibly dangerous message for people of all genders. Also, did you notice the boys’ gender traits (leadership, confidence, competition) are the ones most highly valued by society at present (vs. kindness, vulnerability and an understanding of relationships)?
Sex is one thing and is risky: Sex means penetrative penis-in-vagina sex, which is engaged in by men and women who are in love. Sex leads to teenage pregnancy and STIs, which gives a clear message that sex should just be avoided in the first place, as it is dangerous and/or could lead to the biggest mistake of

There are roles for each gender, which we must assume: girls are feminine, pretty, kind and accommodating. They are concerned with relationships. They are the embodiment of sexuality but are also vulnerable and emotional. They should cover up and not go out for fear of what will happen to them. Boys are strong, independent and make great leaders. They are confident in their abilities and are competitive. They don’t need help, as they don’t struggle. Big boys

Factors Affecting Our Identity
Our biggest fear isn’t being rejected, it’s being invisible.