Thursday, March 10, 2011

Understanding Double Standard


"Double Stander", as an image, initiates deeper thoughts surrounding the meaning of "double standard". There is a reason why urinals are positioned side by side and women accompany each other to the restroom. Please follow my stream... of consciousness...

By definition, a double standard violates the principle of justice known as impartiality by holding different people accountable according to different standards. If "all men are created equal" (Thomas Jefferson) and "It is not good for the man to be alone. I shall make a sustainer beside him." (Gen. 2:18 Alter) then one should realize that from the beginning, men and women are different and should be respectably and respectfully treated as such. Love is necessary for all human survival. "Man's love is a man's life a thing apart, 'T is a woman's whole existence" (Lord Byron's - Don Juan). Because of a woman's capacity for affection, daily expressions of romantic love are vital to her existence - it is the key to her self-worth. This "key" to her love lies within the hands of the man who offers her happiness and emotional security by returning that deep affection. Whereas love does not make up a man's entire existence, he cannot live without it. Love motivates a man to work, plan, invest, expand and pursue but he must consistently and thoughtfully express a romantic love and by doing so will continue to build and maintain the foundation of his love. Women support women, there is no question, but for some reason men need to be reminded daily, that they should provide some kind of romantic love for the woman in their life. This should not be viewed as a double standard but merely different people who have uniquely separate needs that require fulfilment in different ways.

As men traditionally stare at the walls above their "relief receptacles", maybe there should be a written reminder that queues them to express the romantic love that is too often forgotten? In "Double Stander" do you think that the reminder may have been erased by an unknowing painter?

Thanks for listening.

Until next time...

-Paul