I agree fully with your first paragraph. And then with your sentence “I believe men fear his inability to create what he is supposed to create,” I would add “before he dies”. I think you are definitely right that men fear not manifesting their life purpose and that they fear dying without having done so. But since the little deaths of change are much more immediate than the big death of the body, the guy withers away in comfort and the illusion that death is still far away.

My understanding is that many men live with the fear of being insignificant as their constant companion, but that they choose not to feel it. It’s as if they fear the death of their identity that will result from embracing their life’s work.

Eivind

I agree with everything you wrote about masculinity. However, the only part that I don’t necessarily agree is where you said, “there is nothing more than death that he fears.” I am not so sure if it’s “death” that he fears most. I believe masculinity is about turning the intangible into a tangible reality. “Feminine” do this by giving birth (= creating another human within herself). Masculine, on the other hand, have the need to do this by creating something outside (external) of himself.

By this definition, I believe men fear his inability to create what he is supposed to create. His biggest fear is his existence having no value to the humanity by his lack of potency (ability to turn the intangible into a tangible, which is an act of creation.)