Submitted by Face Off on
Image by Stefan Keller from http://Pixabay.com
I will go into the mystical component of gender identification.
In mysticism, all spiritual figures are shown with strongly “hermaphroditic” traits. In males, there is a drive to “possess” the female traits. In females, the drive to possess the male traits, and instinct tells us this would be a “more perfect” person.
This can often get twisted into hostility toward the other genders, regrettably, but case in point. Jesus is often shown with large eyes, delicate cheek bones and fine skin. I really can’t think of any exceptions, even long hair. The Buddha is likewise shown with delicate facial features, large eyes, and in some images a hairstyle that would denote length. Even the derogatory “long haired hippy” is a reference to a spiritual person.
Buddhist deities generally have a male and female aspect? Hindu deities, but they were not rejected by Buddhism. Buddhism doesn’t really have a deity of any kind.
I’ve heard that it’s not likely the case given his genetic heritage. Given his heritage, Buddha would have likely had a very swarthy build, and Jesus. And neither of them fair skinned. In Native American spirituality, they recognized this in people rather than icons. Some men gave off the feminine vibe so powerfully the tribe would just accept that is what they were. Not only that, but they often would have more of an emphasis put on healing skills than the “normal” woman.
How did we get so polarized? Patriarchal bigotry? Species prejudice though our nervous systems can mirror animals too and for a biological reason? Ultimately ego.
Yes, it’s all tied up in the power structures we’ve made. Which tie us up and will tear us down.
Let’s ground this in real life experience now. Can each of you think of the best male doctor you had? Care to describe their physical appearance?
Feminine like, slender.
Short, thin, dark curly hair, glasses.
Typical ectomorphic males. Skinny, with some exceptions of course. Let’s take a TV doctor. Can everyone envision House? He wouldn’t be mistaken for female, but he has an under pronounced brow, high delicate cheekbones and a narrow face with large eyes, does he not?
And not good by your bedside. Yes, little apparent empathy. This is the supposed biggest factor of my autism, lack of empathy, but that’s not the topic.
We instinctively recognize people by phenotype, general body image. But rather than trusting our instincts which tell us everyone has a place, they just serve as triggers to all manner of psychologically toxic and twisted dramatization of egos and other human prejudices. Nature betrays no one. Humanity does that well enough all by themselves while the rest of life goes about its business.
We archetype people falsely by how they look? The look isn’t completely false, but we generally have our perceptions too twisted to read the truth in the look.
We keep a too narrow view of it? We like to simplify? The biology is not nearly as limited as our thinking, and the actualized factors much more diverse than one simple idea.
When society became a “system” it narrowed things down. They lose the Tao, the actual virtue of anything as it is. We see the resulting toxicity, no? We don’t need “demons”, we make them all on our own, and they are far more twisted than the old forces of nature that people demonized. Your biggest demon isn’t lurking in the shadows. It’s your idea of who your neighbour is or your idea of who you are. This is big enough an issue, I would say.
In the majority of cases today, do you think people are pushed to gender change procedures because of this intolerance in society? Could they be better served just accepting how they are, if society let them? Perhaps they would experience an easing of stress with hormone therapy, but they don’t gain from the gross physical changes. Their sensitivity, if they are physically altered, is not an actual replication of the new gender. It just leaves them with a neurological and psychological scar for no reason.
In many ways, the change subtracts more than it adds. Many regret it afterward. It tends to work better if done earlier in life. Cosmetic surgery, even if not gender change, often fails though they get exactly what they say they want.
Taking a knife to the body is a psychologically scaring rejection for most cosmetic purposes? Another case of be careful what you wish for.
Travis Saunders