Death, Destruction, and Masculinity

In Ocean Vuong’s fantastic conversation on the On Being podcast, he commented on our culture’s glorification of violence through language:

In this culture, we celebrate boys through the lexicon of conquest and violence — ‘you’re killin’ it,’ ‘I bagged it’,’ ‘guns blazing,’ ‘slay,’ ‘drop dead gorgeous.’ And I think it’s worth it to ask the question: what happens to our men and boys when the only way they can valuate themselves is through the lexicon of death and destruction? And I think when they see themselves only worthwhile when they are capable of destroying things, it’s inevitable that we arrive at a masculinity that is toxic. - Ocean Vuong

Speaking in this way has been so ingrained in me that I’ve never noticed it before.