Iron John and the Male Mode on Feeling

Rating:
Summary: Interesting insight into the male psyche
Review: Robert Bly is an poet and author of the book IRON JOHN, which has been a classic in the so-called Men's Movement for over a decade now. On "Iron John and the Male Mode on Feeling," a single tape recording of a workshop he conducted, Bly shares his viewpoint that feeling, i.e., having emotions, is not exclusively a feminine phenomenon. A man in touch with his emotions is not necessarily a feminine man. He also shares his theory that women are interested in "merging" with others, while men are largely more interested in establishing their boundries. Referencing Freudian theory, he suggests that this has to do with the incest taboo, the need to break the link with the mother and the comfort she represents.

I enjoyed "Iron John and the Male Mode on Feeling" because I applaud anything that opens a dialogue about men and why we are the way we are. I applaud and support anything that acknowledges that men do have feelings, and encourages debate about those feelings, or at least says it's okay to have feeling. In some regards, this is still a radical notion. However, on a deeper, more theoretical level, I must admit that I have largely left behind gender studies for typology. For example, Bly theorizes that it is the "male" aspect that will drive a man to complete a project in spite of his tiredness, while the "female" aspect may encourage self-compassion and suggest getting a good night's sleep instead. In the language of typology, Myers-Briggs Temperament Theory, the theories of David Keirsey, Jung's personality theory, etc., this could be seen as a difference between being a "Perceiver" or a "Judger." Judgers are more likely to complete things, and Perceivers are more likely to go from one activity to another, follow their impulses (such as the need to sleep), and risk never completing anything. And, by the way, these preferences - being a Perceiver or a Judger - do not largely depend on your gender; some women complete things (if they are Judgers) and some men don't (if they are Perceivers). Also ironic is the fact that Bly quotes DH Lawrence as a source of insight into maleness. See, as a lay scholar in Anais Nin, I know that DH Lawrence was a great inspiration to her, and her first book was a critical assessment of his work titled DH LAWRENCE: AN UNPROFESSIONAL STUDY. In this book, Anais puts forth her theory that DH Lawrence possessed "androgynous reasoning."

I applaud "Iron John and the Male Mode on Feeling" for encouraging a consciousness raising in the field of the masculinities, in introducing men to their emotions, introducing society to men's emotions, and saying it is okay to HAVE emotions. But I certainly do not see it as the final say on the matter, and I don't think there IS a final say. I think this is, and should be, an on-going discussion. I'm thankful to Robert Bly for being one of the men at the forefront of the movement that initiated this discussion in the United States.

Andrew Parodi

Rating:
Summary: Interesting insight into the male psyche
Review: Robert Bly is an poet and author of the book IRON JOHN, which has been a classic in the so-called Men's Movement for over a decade now. On "Iron John and the Male Mode on Feeling," a single tape recording of a workshop he conducted, Bly shares his viewpoint that feeling, i.e., having emotions, is not exclusively a feminine phenomenon. A man in touch with his emotions is not necessarily a feminine man. He also shares his theory that women are interested in "merging" with others, while men are largely more interested in establishing their boundries. Referencing Freudian theory, he suggests that this has to do with the incest taboo, the need to break the link with the mother and the comfort she represents.

I enjoyed "Iron John and the Male Mode on Feeling" because I applaud anything that opens a dialogue about men and why we are the way we are. I applaud and support anything that acknowledges that men do have feelings, and encourages debate about those feelings, or at least says it's okay to have feeling. In some regards, this is still a radical notion. However, on a deeper, more theoretical level, I must admit that I have largely left behind gender studies for typology. For example, Bly theorizes that it is the "male" aspect that will drive a man to complete a project in spite of his tiredness, while the "female" aspect may encourage self-compassion and suggest getting a good night's sleep instead. In the language of typology, Myers-Briggs Temperament Theory, the theories of David Keirsey, Jung's personality theory, etc., this could be seen as a difference between being a "Perceiver" or a "Judger." Judgers are more likely to complete things, and Perceivers are more likely to go from one activity to another, follow their impulses (such as the need to sleep), and risk never completing anything. And, by the way, these preferences - being a Perceiver or a Judger - do not largely depend on your gender; some women complete things (if they are Judgers) and some men don't (if they are Perceivers). Also ironic is the fact that Bly quotes DH Lawrence as a source of insight into maleness. See, as a lay scholar in Anais Nin, I know that DH Lawrence was a great inspiration to her, and her first book was a critical assessment of his work titled DH LAWRENCE: AN UNPROFESSIONAL STUDY. In this book, Anais puts forth her theory that DH Lawrence possessed "androgynous reasoning."

I applaud "Iron John and the Male Mode on Feeling" for encouraging a consciousness raising in the field of the masculinities, in introducing men to their emotions, introducing society to men's emotions, and saying it is okay to HAVE emotions. But I certainly do not see it as the final say on the matter, and I don't think there IS a final say. I think this is, and should be, an on-going discussion. I'm thankful to Robert Bly for being one of the men at the forefront of the movement that initiated this discussion in the United States.

Andrew Parodi