Manhood Quotes

“The issue with desire is at the root of what it means to be human. There are major issues with how we understand desire within religion. I studied Buddhism. The one sticking point I had with it was a flight from desire, a denial of desire. That was probably my own mis-reading. But, if anything, Christianity is worse because it doesn’t flee from desire, it demonises desire. One thing which distinguishes us as human is desire and, if that constitutes being human, we need to pay more attention to desire.”
― Laura Dodsworth, Manhood: The Bare Reality

“When young men and women were separated at church seminars, the men would be talked to about what to do and not do with their penises – you can’t masturbate and you can’t have sex before marriage. Young women were warned not to lead men astray by the way that they dressed. When I was growing up I didn’t realise how toxic this was for men and women. What it does to young men is make you assume that your penis is powerful and you mustn’t do the wrong thing with it. There is very little talk of what women might want – just don’t touch them because you might get them pregnant and get into trouble.”
― Laura Dodsworth, Manhood: The Bare Reality

“The energy that rapes and pillages women, and the world, and doesn’t see the long term, is an unbalanced, penetrating, aggressive male energy. It’s out of control. Male energy is a source of amazing creativity, a drive to learn and understand, but in the modern world it’s led to reductive thinking and exploitation.”
― Laura Dodsworth, Manhood: The Bare Reality

“I want to bring your passion to the fore so when you get home and go through your bathroom door, stand in front of the mirror, stare at your own face, smile and think about your place in this humdrum world, think about the universe through which you’re being hurled, realise your strengths, confidence and slightly selfish part, notice the swelling of the good bit of your heart, focus all your energy on the best bits of you and really understand that you can be SUPERYOU!”
― Laura Dodsworth, Manhood: The Bare Reality