“To a great extent, the level of any civilization is the level of it’s womanhood. When a man loves a woman, he has to become worthy of her. The higher her virtue, the more her character, the more devoted she is to truth, justice, goodness, the more a man has to aspire to be worthy of her. The history of civilization could actually be written in terms of the level of its women.” – Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
A perceptive observation, and one rarely stated.
The men may be the builders of a civilization, but the women are its essence. The masculine tangibly creates, but it’s the feminine that inspires. It is the mystery, and the key to activating the feats only the masculine is capable of.
Women are a distraction for men because women are an activation for them. You only pursue that which activates part of you.
But I don’t want us to get carried away with the above quote, because while correct on the macro-level, there are elements on the micro that can be deceptive.
First, while I’m sure implicit, it must be acknowledged that a key variable to the motivation above is missing.
It is the beauty and grace of a woman that initially “activates” a man. It is his desire for her. The virtue acts as comfort, and its effect comes after as an amplification of attraction, as a beautiful woman has a higher barrier of self-control to be virtuous.
But the fundamental issue isn’t the above, but that we must be careful not to pedestalize a woman’s virtue, or draw the wrong conclusions from it. The madonna-whore complex is a real thing, and putting a woman into a box — even a pretty one — isn’t going to work out well in this era of integration.
Or in less poetic terms:
You need to create a space for a woman to express the full spectrum of who she is.
That is, if you want all of her heart, and all of her passion — and in turn, all of the “activation” she has to offer.
Because let’s be honest.
The fantasy of a gorgeous, chaste woman might get you going… but what happens when you get her?
Why did she get you going so much? What does her chastity and goodness represent to you?
Some of these questions may seem obvious on the surface — “I don’t want a woman who will cheat” — but examine your motivations deeper. Many of the times a man wants a woman like this, it’s because he believes that she will somehow cure him of his own defilement. This is indeed the role the church has placed in women for ages — they are the image of Mary, the only question is — which one? The Virgin Mary, or Mary Magdalene the whore? The better question is why not both.
I say all of this not to deny the truth of the quote — virtuous men and women are self-reinforcing, and a civilization is just as much a product of its women as its women are of civilization. When women degrade themselves and treat sex like its transactional rather than sacred, cascade effects on society are inevitable.
But women will only truly get to self-respect — and thus genuine goodness — if they are able to accept their shadow without shame. That does not mean encouraging them to indulge it. But it does means allowing for the existence and proper channeling of it, and removing the burden of perfection from them.
Anyway, a little heavier today, but something to ponder.
If you find explorations of female psychology, feminine energy, and the dark shadow of women fascinating… you’ll love Module 2 of my masterclass.
Nearly 3 hours long, and a customer favorite. And the best part about it?
It’s only one module. There are another 16 hours in the masterclass to peel through.
You can buy it here: https://masterclass.patstedman.com/sales-page
– Pat
