Continuing the previous Post, feminine and masculine concepts are as old as humanity and could be viewed from a broader perspective. For the Taoism, Ying and Yang[1] (feminine and masculine drives) are complementary aspects that describe a whole”: “(…)Male is associated with the Sun- the light, bright, action and combativeness; Female stands for the moon-passivity, , receptiveness, reflection, introspection. Male strength, initiative and leadership are balanced by female delicacy, resilience and support[2]. For Hinduism: “Only when Shakti -the Left half side, in the form of Goddess Parvati- unites to the right half side-Shiva-, God is able to turn into the Lord of Universe[3] . For Judaism God is masculine, but Shekhninah represents his[4] feminine aspectwhile in Chrystianity, regardless the images associated with the masculine, God transcends gender and entails moral virtues found in human beings (both men and women). For Freud, Winnicott and some other psychoanalysts, masculine drive refers to an act that is initially a surviving one (breastfeeding). Progressively, it unfolds into aggressiveness/ combativeness in life. For PA and some schools belonging to Psychoanalysis[5][6], the masculine aspect of human essence is associated with the act of penetrating and, thus, with male sex, since the analogy uses species reproduction as reference. Feminine is their passive aspect. Its initial condition is passivity- act of receiving the milk, food, also a surviving one. This energy unfolds into embracing/acceptance acts, and later, into sensibility and intuition[7][8][9]. The feminine aspect is associated with the act of receiving and being penetrated and, hence, symbolically, with the female sex. The two half sides or complementary energies[10] express our “vital impetus”. Human beings are born with combativeness and sensibility (masculine and feminine) regardless the sexual apparatus. If complementary drives are in tune, they will play a crucial role in healthy sexual identities development. In a nutshell, regardless theorical inclination, feminine and masculine are useful categories. They define “ways of being”. Most importantly, although it is true that masculine and feminine “ways of being” might work as a support for the idea that they are intrinsic to biological sex, stating that there are more assertive women- combative personalities- and sensible men doesn’t imply ideological bias. On the contrary, despite the sex, people without combativeness– for instance, someone who puts up with nonsense-,or , instead, someone who doesn’t recognize their own wishes and needs -feminine energy-, give us good hints about the unbalance of their sexual drives, along with possible reasons why they developed certain symptoms instead of others. The Spectrum between feminine and masculine is still the most important reference according to which we identify, oppose ourselves or feel we are half way regarding our sexual identity. Of course, gender is developed in interactions and, therefore, in a culture. Gender is psychological. Feminine and masculine drives help to understand an identity/personality in a more nuanced esthetical existential line. In our point of view, the two lines of argument are not excluding (Social Sciences versus Natural Science[11]). On the other hand, associating roles and behaviors with male and female sex, as if they were naturally given, is a sensitive issue. Roles are related to rights, which are social/cultural inventions. Bias and discrimination, in turn, are social behaviors that cause real suffering. It only makes sense to turn sexual desires into psychopathological ones if they bring up neurotic anguishes (pathological ones). Even so, the aim is to understand their causes and not to be judgmental about them. Maybe the most controversial issue regarding this dispute is to assume reproduction as the main criteria to understand the evolution of species. Indeed, species need to reproduce themselves in order to survive. In human cases, however, technological advances and cultural changes have made it possible for many couples, of different sexual orientation and gender nonconforming identities, to have a family and shared life projects.
[1] We have chosen religious examples because they are responsible for most of the origin myths and for trying to describe human emotional (irrational) nature. Psychoanalysis authors, in turn, have been chosen for outstanding contributions in the effort to intertwine impulse/irrational human nature and science. Sigmund Freud has called the irrational side of human nature Unconscious, the methodology to understand and treat it ,Psychoanalysis, and the comprehension of the origins of unconscious way of working, psychodynamics. [2]Vigo,J. The body in Gender Discourse. The fragmentary Space of the Feminine. La femme et l’ecriture. Meknès, Maroc,1996.In: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender [3] “This mythology describes the inherent premise of Hinduism according to what human beings carry in themselves a feminine(female) and masculine (male) aspect, which are strengths more than sex. The harmony between them would lie on the balance between the pair of opposites-creativity and destruction, strength and smoothness, assertivity and passivity -that correspond the a true person”. "Arhanarishvara: Hindu deity". Britannica. Archived from the original on 15 August 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2021.In: wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender [4] We have chosen to describe God’s essence using the Pronoun His in respect to ht original citation. By no means we are taking sides. We apologize if it sounds as disrespect to todays’ rules regarding Gender terminology [5] Aberastury, A and Knoble, M. The normal Adolescence. A Psychoanalytical Approach. (Spanish Edition). Paperback. May, 30.2014 [6]Klein, M. The Psychoanalysis of Children. Paperbak. (2018). Franklin Classics. [7] See also Post 1- Sexual Identity development- Premises and Post 2- Feminine and masculine drives in intuition’s development. In Essay 2-Sexuality and Sexual Identity .In: www.ceciliapsicologa.org. [8] See also Freud, S. , in Complete works of Sigmund Freud. (May 6, 1856 to September 23, 1939).English Edition.Kindle. [9] See also Winnicott. D.W. Creativitiy and its Origin. In: Playing and Reality(1991).Routledge. p.107-113. [10] I’m using drives and energies as synonyms. [11] See also Post 8-Contemporary Anguishes. Sexual Identity/Gender-Terminology and Post 9- Contemporary Anguishes. Feminine and Masculine, in Essay 8- Contemporary Anguishes. In :www.ceciliapsicolga.org
[6] Ver também Post 1- Desenvolvimento da Identidade Sexual- Premissas e Post 2- Energia feminina e masculina na formação da intuição, em Ensaio 2-Sexualidade e Identidade Sexual. Em: www.ceciliapsicologa.org. [7] Ver também Freud, S. Obras completas. [8] Ver também Winnicot. D.W. Creativitiy and its Origin. In: Playing and Reality(1991).Routledge. p.107-113.
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