The Dosage Makes the Poison

Everyone has probably heard the term Toxic Masculinity. It is one of those phrases that a lot of people use but is never really defined well. At least in my experience toxic masculinity could refer to any trait a person didn't like. But then the questions get raised, is there toxic femininity? What other identity toxicities are there? 

First, let's get on the same page with definitions. Oxford defines Toxic Masculinity as, " 

a set of attitudes and ways of behaving stereotypically associated with or expected of men, regarded as having a negative impact on men and on society as a whole."  For the sake of this post identity toxicity is when  a person places more value on maintaining and displaying an identity than they do on the people around them. When someone care more about how they are perceived than the feelings aor thoughts of the people around them. 

This can happen with Masculinity, femininity, religiosity, and national identities to name a few. These are the people waging a "war on wokeness." 

People being masculine or feminine or religious is not the issue. It is when that identity carries so much value in the person's mind that they are will to hurt other people to maintain it. For those of you wondering. Yes, toxic femininity is an issue. This, in my opinion, is when a woman is so fixated on gaining approval that she is willing to give up the rights of women in general.

Identities are not the problem. As the title of this post says, the dosage makes the poison. in low doses most identities is harmless.  More intensity makes for more toxicity.