What Would Robert Bly Do ?

One of the more frequent complaints that I have heard from the numerous women who have begun the 21 day vegan kick-start program is that their husbands, and sometimes their children, still want to eat their customary meat. Even though most of the women work full time, they still feel obliged to prepare two sets of meals in their home.


Much of the stress these professional women feel is related to the longstanding societal role of the woman as the cook-caretaker in the family. This model often leads to a conflict between what they personally want to do and the tendency to subordinate their desires for the good of the family.


In my opinion, men need to disengage from their contemporary caveman relationship toward meat and embrace their partners attempt to develop a more compassionate attitude toward animals. As someone who has participated in a variety of mens groups for over 20 years, I have seen many men on the verge of a panic attack when they perceived their meat based diet being attacked.


There are so many more productive ways for men to assert their masculinity, than to participate in the ritual eating of a dead animal that led a horrific life on a factory farm. Try mentoring an inner-city youth or volunteer in a soup kitchen as an example…