This meme has been posted on the Internet and circulated on WhatsApp ostensibly to correct the negative impression of men created by modern day feminism. In my opinion, it only makes things worse. Men have been celebrated and venerated in different ways throughout the course of history, often at the expense of women. I believe that we do both genders a disservice by exalting one over the other. How much easier it would be to recognize that men and women are not adversaries but complements of each other and we build stronger families and more peaceful communities by working together to appreciate and bolster each other. So I decided to modify the message to make it more inclusive:
Who is a MAN?
A man is a beautiful part of God's creation who starts compromising at a very tender age...because if only one side wins, everybody loses. He is beautiful because he is born from a woman's labor and the miracle of new life is always a beautiful thing.
He sacrifices his chocolates for his sister...but he will still get to enjoy them because his sister has been taught to always share with her siblings.
He sacrifices his dreams for just a smile on his parents face...without knowing how much they sacrificed for him because their biggest dream is to see their son happy.
He spends his entire pocket money on buying gifts for the lady he loves just to see her smiling...and she is happy knowing that he has remembered to recognize her for what she has brought to his life.
He sacrifices his full youth for his wife & children by working late at night without any complaint...because that is what he was taught was the responsible thing to do when you have a family. His wife also works hard at nurturing the family while he is busy working so he can enjoy being with them when he comes home.
He builds their future by taking loans from banks & repaying them for lifetime...because he wants to have a comfortable lifestyle and it may take time and help to achieve.
He struggles a lot & still has to bear scolding from his mother, wife & boss...because achieving success and building character require hard work and his mother only scolded him because she wanted him to grow up to be a responsible man who respected others. His wife scolds him only when he is not attentive to the needs of his family and his boss scolds him if he doesn't put his best effort into his work.
His life finally ends up only by compromising for others' happiness...but he may take for granted the many times others have compromised for his happiness.
If he goes out, then he's careless...because he doesn't realize that his family may want to spend time with him.
If he stays at home, then he's lazy...if he has free time and is not helping his wife when she asks for it or finding ways to keep his family safe and secure.
If he scolds his children, then he's a monster...if his words deliberately hurt and humiliate them and make them feel worthless.
If he doesn't scold them, then he's an irresponsible guy...or one who believes that the best way to teach your children is to model the behavior that you want them to follow.
If he stops wife from working, then he's an insecure guy...or a man who knows how hard it is to juggle the responsibilities of work and home and wants to make life easier for her by easing some of the burden.
If he doesn't stop his wife from working, then he's somebody who lives on wife's earnings...only if he doesn't have a job and refuses to contribute in other ways. He knows that his wife finds validation through her work just as he does through his.
If he listens to his mother, then he's a mama's boy...or a man who knows that his mother always has his best interests at heart and her advice comes out of her love and concern for him.
If he listens to his wife, he's his wife's slave...or a man who believes that marriage is a partnership and to have a strong and healthy relationship, her opinions and feelings are just as important as his.
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