our androcentric culture-第12节

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manifest　themselves　to　some　degree　even　in　normally　reared　children；　as
for　instance　the　little　male　would　be　more　given　to　fighting　and
destroying；　the　little　female　more　to　caring　for　and　constructing
things。

〃Boys　are　so　destructive！〃　we　say　with　modest　prideas　if　it　was　in
some　way　a　credit　to　them。　　But　early　youth　is　not　the　time　to　display
sex　distinction；　and　they　should　be　discouraged　rather　than　approved。

The　games　of　the　world；　now　the　games　of　men；　easily　fall　into　two　broad
classesgames　of　skill　and　games　of　chance。

The　interest　and　pleasure　in　the　latter　is　purely　human；　and　as　such　is
shared　by　the　two　sexes　even　now。　　Women；　in　the　innocent　beginnings　or
the　vicious　extremes　of　this　line　of　amusement；　make　as　wild　gamblers　as
men。　　At　the　races；　at　the　roulette　wheel；　at　the　bridge　table；　this　is
clearly　seen。

In　games　of　skill　we　have　a　different　showing。　　Most　of　these　are
developed　by　and　for　men；　but　when　they　are　allowed；　women　take　part　in
them　with　interest　and　success。　　In　card　games；　in　chess；　checkers；　and
the　like；　in　croquet　and　tennis；　they　play；　and　play　well　if
well…trained。　　Where　they　fall　short　in　so　many　games；　and　are　so　wholly
excluded　in　others；　is　not　for　lack　of　human　capacity；　but　for　lack　of
masculinity。　　Most　games　are　male。　　In　their　element　of　desire　to　win；
to　get　the　prize；　they　are　male；　and　in　their　universal　attitude　of
competition　they　are　male；　the　basic　spirit　of　desire　and　of　combat
working　out　through　subtle　modern　forms。

There　is　something　inherently　masculine　also　in　the　universal　dominance
of　the　projectile　in　their　games。　　The　ball　is　the　one　unescapable
instrument　of　sport。　　From　the　snapped　marble　of　infancy　to　the　flying
missile　of　the　bat；　this　form　endures。　　To　send　something　forth　with
violence；　to　throw　it；　bat　it；　kick　it；　shoot　it；　this　impulse　seems　to
date　back　to　one　of　the　twin　forces　of　the　universethe　centrifugal　and
centripetal　energies　between　which　swing　the　planets。

The　basic　feminine　impulse　is　to　gather；　to　put　together；　to　construct；
the　basic　masculine　impulse　to　scatter；　to　disseminate；　to　destroy。　　It
seems　to　give　pleasure　to　a　man　to　bang　something　and　drive　it　from　him；
the　harder　he　hits　it　and　the　farther　it　goes　the　better　pleased　he　is。

Games　of　this　sort　will　never　appeal　to　women。　　They　are　not　wrong；　not
necessarily　evil　in　their　place；　our　mistake　is　in　considering　them　as
human；　whereas　they　are　only　masculine。

Play；　in　the　childish　sense　is　an　expression　of　previous　habit；　and　to
be　studied　in　that　light。　　Play　in　the　educational　sense　should　be
encouraged　or　discouraged　to　develop　desired　characteristics。　　This　we
know；　and　practice；　only　we　do　it　under　androcentric　canons；　confining
the　girl　to　the　narrow　range　we　consider　proper　for　women；　and　assisting
the　boy　to　cover　life　with　the　expression　of　masculinity；　when　we　should
be　helping　both　to　a　more　human　development。

Our　settled　conviction　that　men　are　peoplethe　people；　and　that
masculine　qualities　are　the　main　desideratam　in　life；　is　what　keeps　up
this　false　estimate　of　the　value　of　our　present　games。　　Advocates　of
football；　for　instance；　proudly　claim　that　it　fits　a　man　for　life。　
Lifefrom　the　wholly　male　point　of　viewis　a　battle；　with　a　prize。　　To
want　something　beyond　measure；　and　to　fight　to　getthat　is　the　simple
proposition。　　This　view　of　life　finds　its　most　naive　expression　in
predatory　warfare；　and　still　tends　to　make　predatory　warfare　of　the
later　and　more　human　processes　of　industry。　　Because　they　see　life　in
this　way　they　imagine　that　skill　and　practice　in　the　art　of　fighting；
especially　in　collective　fighting；　is　so　valuable　in　our　modern　life。　
This　is　an　archaism　which　would　be　laughable　if　it　were　not　so　dangerous
in　its　effects。

The　valuable　processes　to…day　are　those　of　invention；　discovery；　all
grades　of　industry；　and；　most　especially　needed；　the　capacity　for　honest
service　and　administration　of　our　immense　advantages。　　These　are　not
learned　on　the　football　field。　　This　spirit　of　desire　and　combat　may　be
seen　further　in　all　parts　of　this　great　subject。　　It　has　developed　into
a　cult　of　sportsmanship；　so　universally　accepted　among　men　as　of
superlative　merit　as　to　quite　blind　them　to　other　standards　of　judgment。

In　the　Cook…Peary　controversy　of　1909；　this　canon　was　made　manifest。　
Here；　one　man　had　spent　a　lifetime　in　trying　to　accomplish　something；
and　at　the　eleventh　hour　succeeded。　　Then；　coming　out　in　the　rich
triumph　long　deferred；　he　finds　another　man；　of　character　well　known　to
him；　impudently　and　falsely　claiming　that　he　had　done　it　first。　　Mr。
Peary　expressed　himself；　quite　restrainedly　and　correctly；　in　regard　to
the　effrontery　and　falsity　of　this　claimand　all　the　country　rose　up
and　denounced　him　as　〃unsportsmanlike！〃

Sport　and　the　canons　of　sport　are　so　dominant　in　the　masculine　mind　that
what　they　considered　a　deviation　from　these　standards　was　of　far　more
importance　than　the　question　of　fact　involved；　to　say　nothing　of　the
moral　obliquity　of　one　lying　to　the　whole　world；　for　money；　and　that　at
the　cost　of　another's　hard…won　triumph。

If　women　had　condemned　the　conduct　of　one　or　the　other　as　〃not　good
house…wifery；〃　this　would　have　been　considered　a　most　puerile　comment。　
But　to　be　〃unsportsmanlike〃　is　the　unpardonable　sin。

Owing　to　our　warped　standards　we　glaringly　misjudge　the　attitude　of　the
two　sexes　in　regard　to　their　amusements。　　Of　late　years　more　women　than
ever　before　have　taken　to　playing　cards；　and　some；　unfortunately；　play
for　money。　　A　steady　stream　of　comment　and　blame　follows　upon　this。　　The
amount　of　card　playing　among　menand　the　amount　of　money　lost　and　won；
does　not　produce　an　equivalent　comment。

Quite　aside　from　this　one　field　of　dissipation；　look　at　the　share　of
life；　of　time；　of　strength；　of　money；　given　by　men　to　their　wide　range
of　recreation。　　The　primitive　satisfaction　of　hunting　and　fishing　they
maintain　at　enormous　expense。　　This　is　the　indulgence　of　a　most
rudimentary　impulse；　pre…social　and　largely　pre…human；　of　no　service
save　as　it　affects　bodily　health；　and　of　a　most　deterring　influence　on
real　human　development。　　Where　hunting　and　fishing　is　of　real　human
service；　done　as　a　means　of　livelihood；　it　is　looked　down　upon　like　any
other　industry；　it　is　no　longer　〃sport。〃

The　human　being　kills　to　eat；　or　to　sell　and　eat　from　the　returns；　he
kills　for　the　creature's　hide　or　tusks；　for　use　of　some　sort；　or　to
protect　his　crops　from　vermin；　his　flocks　from　depredation；　but　the
sportsman　kills　for　the　gratification　of　a　primeval　instinct；　and　under
rules　of　an　arbitrary　cult。　　〃Game〃　creatures　are　his　prey；　bird；　beast
or　fish　that　is　hard　to　catch；　that　requires　some　skill　to　slay；　that
will　give　him　not　mere　meat　and　bones；　but　〃the　pleasure　of　the　chase。〃

The　pleasure　of　the　chase　is　a　very　real　one。　　It　is　exemplified；　in　its
broad　sense　in　children's　play。　　The　running　and　catching　games；　the
hiding　and　finding　games；　are　always　attractive　to　our　infancy；　as　they
are　to　that　of　cubs　and　kittens。　　But　the　long　continuance　of　this
indulgence　among　mature　civilized　beings　is　due　to　their　masculinity。　
That　group　of　associated　sex　instincts；　which　in　the　woman　prompts　to
the　patient　service　and　fierce　defence　of　the　little　child；　in　the　man
has　its　deepest　root　in　seeking；　pursuing　and　catching。　　To　hunt　is　more
than　a　means　of　obtaining　food；　in　his　long　ancestry；　it　is　to　follow　at
any　cost；　to　seek　through　all　difficulties；　to　struggle　for　and　secure
the　central　prize　of　his　beinga　mate。

His　〃protective　instincts〃　are　far　later　and　more　superficial。　　To
support　and　care　for　his　wife；　his　children；　is　a　recent　habit；　in　plain
sight　historically；　but　〃the　pleasure　of　the　chase〃　is　older　than　that。　
We　should　remember　that　associate　habits　and　impulses　last　for　ages　upon
ages　in　living　forms；　as　in　the　tree　climbing　instincts　of　our　earliest
years；　of　Simian　origin；　and　the　love　of　water；　which　dates　back　through
unmeasured　time。　　Where　for　millions　of　years　the　strongest　pleasure　a
given　organism　is　fitted　for；　is　obtained　by　a　certain　group　of
activities；　those　activities　will　continue　to　give　pleasure　long　after
their　earlier　use　is　gone。

This　is　why　men　enjoy　〃the　ardor　of　pursuit〃　far　more　than　women。　　It　is
an　essentially　masculine　ardor。　　To　come　easily　by　what　he　wants　does
not　satisfy　him。　　He　wants　to　want　it。　　He　wants　to　hunt　it；　seek　it；
chase　it；　catch　it。　　He　wants　it　to　be　〃game。〃　　He　is　by　virtue　of　his
sex　a　sportsman。

There　is　no　reason　why　these　special　instincts　should　not　be　gratified
so　long　as　it　does　no　harm　to　the　more　important　social　processes；　but
it　is　distinctly　desirable　that　we　should　understand　their　nature。　　The
reason　why　we　have　the　present　overwhelming　mass　of　〃sporting　events；〃
from　the　ball　game　to　the　prize　fight；　is　because　our　civilization　is　so
overwhelmingly　masculine。　　We　shall　criticize　them　more　justly　when　we
see　that　all　this　mass　of　indulgence　is　in　the　first　place　a　form　of
sex…expression；　and　in　the　second　place　a　survival　of　instincts　older
than　the　oldest　savagery。

Besides　our　games　and　sports　we　have　a　lar