Men are not to be told anything they might find too painful; the secret depths of human nature, the sordid physicalities, might overwhelm or damage them. For instance, men often faint at the sight of their own blood, to which they are not accustomed. For this reason you should never stand behind one in the line at the Red Cross donor clinic.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Society often shields men from biological realities, treating them as fragile to preserve their ego or comfort.
- In plain terms
- Men are protected from painful truths about bodies to keep them comfortable.
- What can you take from it?
- Question protections that prevent people from facing reality.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who is protected from reality?
- Why do we shield people?
Another view
Some people genuinely react strongly to blood.
More from Margaret Atwood
In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.
Permalink to quote #71 Never pray for justice, because you might get some.
Permalink to quote #73 If the national mental illness of the United States is megalomania, that of Canada is paranoid schizophrenia.
Permalink to quote #70
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