Introduction
At first glance I appear to conform toward many stereotypically masculine norms. I am a six foot, 225 pound straight white male in the army. I’m a former heavyweight college wrestler, fraternity brother, proud gym-rat and combatives enthusiast. Some of my closer friends would likely attest to my humor and antics being consistent with a playful “locker room” culture, oft-described as aggressive, to be generous. I am also a vegan, environmental studies major, aspiring yogi, religious skeptic, somewhat frugal minimalist and passionate effective altruist.
I’ve been told countless times that my decisions to serve in the military and be vegan are at ethical odds with each other and I couldn’t even begin to tell you the amount of times I’ve been relentlessly teased by some of my closest buddies for my choice to be vegan (I understand it was all in good fun guys). As a 23 year old that has largely worked and socialised in traditionally masculine spaces, including a fraternity, a college wrestling team and the army, my identity as a vegan is without fail, yet understandably so, consistently called into question in not just these, but most spaces.
I’d like to think that I was always a good kid. I think it’s even fair to say that from a young age I had a particular proclivity toward compassion. At my fifth grade “moving-up ceremony” that for some reason the bureaucratic elementary school higher-ups couldn't just call a goddamn graduation, I, along with my childhood best friend were nominated for the oh-so prestigious Virginia Cass Humanitarian Award, which was more or less “the nice guy award”.
I once pictured the stereotypical vegan as a rebellious, frail, hyper-sensitive, alternative, blue-haired liberal with deluded ideals, an overinflated sense of moral superiority and a general desire to not conform. I similarly would have pictured a similar archetype to comprise the demographic of most social justice warriors (SJWs). Veganism wasn’t on my radar growing up, nor was any other social justice based movement.
I don’t think it’s revolutionary to say that the world could benefit from there being more compassionate people, but I do think that there is a difference in impact to be seen based upon the type of people that make these value shifts, or engage in such deliberate ethical/altruistic decision making. Every additional person to the vegan movement makes a difference, but it isn’t an attention grabber, or surprise when your typical social liberal makes this change. Yes, having a large, diverse group is a strength for any cause, but in order to facilitate a cultural shift in which overt compassion and altruism are more of an expectation rather than a pleasant surprise, we need said change-makers to be people that embody strength and who aren’t necessarily the stereotypical alternative, cultural drifters who seek defy to the status-quo.
I’d like to explore the tension between ethical decision-making and traditional gender norms and I argue that masculinity and altruism are not just compatible but essential partners. When harnessed correctly, masculine traits—strength, responsibility, and discipline—can serve as powerful forces for positive change.
What is Masculinity
Masculine traits that most men strive to embody are strength, independence, leadership, stoicism, competitiveness and the quest for meaning which frequently manifests itself through the desire to protect. In any film, it is expected, but also nobly regarded when men sacrifice themselves for women and children. Similarly, it is revered when the guy gets the girl through his unrivaled charm and confidence. These traits can and most certainly do serve the individuals who display them, and ideally the communities to which they belong. Masculinity has always been a powerful force, but when it loses its grounding in service, it can easily become self-serving, competitive to the point of harm, and even oppressive. Collectively, we’ve lost touch with a role to protect and build, choosing instead to dominate and control as we beat our chests towards one another. Masculinity has come to be labeled as toxic because of the misuse and abuse of our masculine tendencies, but masculinity itself is not the culprit.
Now, I am not making an attack on men, nor am I suggesting that all men are toxic, rather I implore you to ask yourself, whether you are using your own, or see others use their masculinity, a very powerful tool, to serve others, or to serve oneself and from there feel free to assess the use of such tool as toxic, or not.
Men act courageously amidst fear, while boys may cower away. Men acknowledge a responsibility/obligation to others, not just to oneself. Men utilize empathy as a driver to engage in selfless service, as opposed to eliciting a mere temporary emotional response. Men demonstrate discipline versus impulsivity. Men maintain integrity through a reasoned set of values, and continuously aligning their actions with their values.
Another important distinction between men and boys: Men understand that true strength is shown through compassion and humility, not one’s physical prowess, status and wealth. Rather than label these men who identify themselves through the latter as simply toxically masculine, though true, let’s call them what they really are: Boys. By reassessing how we understand and embody masculinity, we can shape it to play a complementary role in serving social justice.
Masculinity’s Role In Altruism
Not only are masculinity and social justice not at odds with one another, rather they complement each other. While masculinity has historically been tied to aggression and competition, these same instincts—when properly directed—can be the driving force behind meaningful social change. However, a man without a sense of compassion and purpose is a dangerous weapon and is the reason masculinity has persisted in toxic forms and is why we are now seeing such an attack on masculinity. While the rise of gendered politics has brought much negative attention to masculinity, I see an opportunity to harness masculine tendencies and the desire for purpose into socially minded action. Masculinity, when properly channeled, can be a powerful force for altruism. At its core, masculinity is about taking responsibility—for oneself, for others, and for the world, a trait much needed of leaders within effective altruism and other social justice movements. The key is redefining the narrative: masculinity isn’t just about competition, dominance, or self-serving strength, but about using these qualities in service of others and having the willingness to carry burdens, protect, and build. This reframing allows men to embrace both their inherent tendencies and their responsibilities to the world around them.
Ethical Extensionism
If masculinity is about protecting and serving, then the question becomes: whom do we choose to protect? Many men embrace duty toward family, community, and country. But true strength—true responsibility—demands that we widen our scope of moral concern. A patriot protects his country, but a leader protects humanity. Though far from limited to just manly men, as humans our desire to serve is often narrow in scope, focusing mostly on immediate family and close friends. In Peter Singer’s “Famine, Affluence and Morality”, he argues that we both ought to dedicate more of our resources for those in need and that our charity ought to be irrespective of borders. I find that social conservatives are predominantly concerned about family, god and country, all of which are things that we ought to dedicate much of our attention to (depending on your religious beliefs). And it is certainly noble to be a patriotic, church-going family man, but for most people who may be reading this, the people in the most need fall outside of this scope.
I am grateful to have been born in the United States and a sense of duty to serve others drove me toward military service, but one contention I have with patriotism is that it lends toward placing disproportionately more value on the lives of those with whom we share a common national identity over those who, by the luck of the draw, happened to be born elsewhere. Masculinity, at its best, is about taking responsibility—not just for oneself, but for others. A man does not walk away from suffering simply because it is inconvenient or distant. If we accept that masculinity is about service, then our duty ought not be constrained by boundaries.
So What
I am not advocating for social justice movements to disproportionately include men, nor am I suggesting that any group should dominate these efforts. Rather, I urge you to recognize how increased masculine representation can serve social justice and, ultimately, the marginalized communities these movements aim to support. This is not me demanding anyone to join any particular movement, instead I implore you to reassess our moral obligations to others and how the deliberate alignment of one’s values and actions will likely compel behavioral change in favor of selflessness. Veganism for me is one way I have sought to live out this alignment. What matters is taking responsibility for the impact we have—whether through our time, effort, or financial contributions. And if you choose to give, give effectively—organizations like GiveWell and Giving What We Can ensure that resources make the greatest difference. Lastly, I haven’t really addressed the first half of my title, well at least the savagery part. I will echo the words of the somewhat polarizing Jordan Peterson, but I think that people and men in particular should be physically capable of savagery; when faced with evil actors, it is of the masculine imperative to be physically capable of protecting those you care about. However, it is not raw strength that is noble, it is the disciplined, compassion-driven restraint of our physical prowess that ought to be commended. I hope to see an expanded representation of masculinity within social justice and effective altruism and I believe that this will amplify the reach of, and diversify the approaches by many well-intentioned individuals, strengthening the efforts of socially conscious institutions, creating a world that is not only fairer but also better defended against injustice. A world that is both just and protected is not built by passive bystanders but by those strong enough to serve others before themselves.
