Within the span of a few decades, Western society has undergone a profound shift toward what many critics call "feminisation," a dominance of traits traditionally associated with femininity, such as empathy, consensus-building, and emotional decision-making, over rationality, competition, and fact-based logic. From an anti-feminist perspective, this transformation hasn't been a progressive triumph, but an outright disaster, particularly for men, whose core identities as providers, protectors, and leaders have been systematically undermined. Unlike older conservative societies that extended rights like voting to women without dismantling masculine structures, today's landscape treats male instincts as toxic relics, leading to emasculation, despair, and societal decay. Drawing on critiques from thinkers like Helen Andrews and data on institutional shifts, this post explores how feminisation attacks men's essence and why restoring balance is urgent.
The feminisation begins early, in schools where boys' natural behaviours, energy, competition, risk-taking, are pathologised as disruptive or "toxic." As one X post laments, society has "feminised" education with a "you go girl" ethos that marginalises males, leaving young boys without encouragement or role models. Statistics bear this out: Girls outperform boys by half a grade level in reading and writing by third grade, widening to a full grade by eighth, per Stanford research. In high school, 51% of girls graduate with GPAs above 3.0 versus 36% of boys, and university enrolment favours women at 58% of bachelor's degrees.
Anti-feminist critics argue this isn't organic but engineered: Schools reward conformity and emotional expression, stifling boys' instincts. Youth sports participation among boys has dropped 9% in a decade, exacerbated by COVID lockdowns, while girls' rates rise slightly. The result? Boys hate school, lose mentorship avenues like the Boy Scouts or military (now "feminised"), and enter adulthood stunted. As an X post puts it, society "takes every possible lane of mentorship away from men... purposely stunted them to put women on an even playing field." This attacks men's core being, their drive to compete and lead, turning potential warriors into "lost boys" soaked in porn and emasculation.
In contrast, pre-feminist conservative societies integrated women's suffrage (e.g., 1920 in the U.S.) without eroding male spaces or norms. Women gained rights within a balanced framework; today, anti-discrimination laws force every workplace to "feminise," banning "frat boy culture" while allowing kindergarten-like softness.
Feminisation's disaster extends to institutions, where "HR ladies" enforce emotion-driven consensus over facts, leading to "cancel culture" for dissenters. As Michael Snyder notes (see link below), defending narratives trumps truth, with politics infiltrating everything from medicine to workplaces. Doctors now sport pins on gay rights or Gaza, failing to compartmentalise, a masculine trait, amid a more feminised profession.
In law, the tipping point alarms anti-feminists: US Law schools became majority female in 2016, associates in 2023, and women are 63% of Biden's judicial appointees. Helen Andrews warns the rule of law won't survive, as it requires following rules despite heartstrings or sympathy, traits clashing with feminised priorities. Corporations make "consensus-driven decisions based on emotion," per Snyder, while anti-feminist voices decry "gynocracy" where wives wield state power, leading to "divorcerape" and systemic pressure draining men's lives.
This isn't equality but reversal: Workplaces err toward "softer" environments to avoid lawsuits, favouring women while men can't sue for unwelcoming spaces. X users echo this as a "female dictatorship" banning male ideals since the '70s. Older societies granted rights without this assault; feminism's contradiction, women as capable yet vulnerable, has tilted the scales destructively.
The core attack manifests in men's "deaths of despair," suicide, drugs, alcohol, at nearly three times women's rate, hitting working-class men hardest. Feminism freezes men's pursuit of women while demanding they conform, leading to numbness: "Men aren't angry anymore; they are numb. Every instinct... is now labelled 'toxic.'" Cultural shifts demonise masculinity, promoting "feminised masculinity" that sows societal destruction, per G.K. Chesterton.
Patriarchy's critics claim it hurts men too, but anti-feminists counter that feminisation fosters machismo repression, emotional epidemics, and "incel" rises. Gender equality brings men stress and depression when roles reverse. Unlike conservative eras, today's "wokeness" equates to feminisation, prioritising safety over risk, cohesion over competition, fuelling manosphere backlash.
X discourse highlights irreversible harm: "Our culture has been under feminisation for the last 50 years with disastrous effects. Men no longer stand up... have done irrevocable harm to their children." Social media, unattainable standards, and dating pools of emasculated men exacerbate isolation.
Anti-feminism isn't anti-women but pro-balance. Older societies extended rights without feminising everything; today's excess creates "toxic" femininity unchecked. Reclaiming male spaces, encouraging compartmentalisation, and valuing masculine virtues could stem the disaster. Without it, millions of young men face addiction, prison, and wasted lives, as already evident.
Feminisation hasn't elevated society; it's attacked men's core, fostering imbalance. Time to heed the warnings before the pendulum swings to extremes.
https://michaeltsnyder.substack.com/p/has-the-feminization-of-our-major