BRUNSWICK SCHOOL
APRIL 2012
MONTHLY MAILING A MESSAGE FROM THE HEADMASTER Manly Virtues Watch any TV show lately and chances are high that at some commercial break, you will see an advertisement that, while pushing a product, makes fun of men. Poking fun at the habits, intelligence, interests, behavior of men is fast becoming the staple of much comedic writing of late. Some examples drawn from a recent CNN article by William J. Bennett: “’That’s the second unmanly thing you have done today,’ is the punch line of the most frequently played Miller Lite ad during NFL games. It ends with the ultimatum, ‘Man up.’ In a new McDonald’s commercial, two newlyweds delay their honeymoon after the man hears that McDonald’s is featuring the McRib sandwich again. The woman says in disbelief, ‘I married a 14-year-old.’” As Bennett points out, “. . . the modern idea of manhood is in doubt. A shift in cultural norms, a changing workforce and the rise of women have left many men in an identity crisis.” Bennett goes on to point out that not too long ago, men were forced to come to early grips with adulthood so as to survive, whereas now there abound choices of lifestyle, career, commitment and culture that can confuse more than clarify a man’s role in the world thus inducing some men to stall in adolescence rather than face reality. I would add to that the fact that many historically “manly” traits are discounted more than celebrated in today’s society. -‐ When, once, men were expected to be stoic, now men are urged to emote. -‐ Rather than making quick and strong decisions, men are urged to think things through more deliberately and to ponder and consider all options. -‐ Today, for some, strong leadership is thought to be less valuable than collective wisdom. -‐ Even chivalric politeness such as men holding doors for women can now be seen as demeaning and sexist. Many of the evolutions above have, no doubt, come about for many positive reasons; however, taken as a whole, these examples (and others) have blurred a collective understanding of just what it means to be a man. At an all boys school such as Brunswick (with a stated motto of “preparing young men for life”), such confusion is neither clearly an all “good” nor an all “bad” thing. Yet what is clear is that boys still need to learn what it means to be a man (by today’s standards) and that’s why perhaps more than anything, the best gift Brunswick can offer our boys is the positive example of male and female role models to observe, learn from and ultimately, to one degree or another, imitate. That’s why, before all else, my greatest interest in hiring and evaluating our faculty is their capacity for goodness and for positive example. Teachers can be the most knowledgeable people in the world in their chosen subject, but if they aren’t capable of being a good role model for our boys, then they have no place at Brunswick School. Good and inspired people (male and female) are the kind of adults I want (I would think we all want) around our sons. Nothing else will serve them better on their ultimate and individual road to manhood, no matter how “manhood” is defined when, ultimately, they grow up.