Masculinity and Femininity

At our discussion group last night, we were talking about what masculinity and femininity mean, and how you might define them.

I had done a 20 mile run earlier in the day, and was probably not at my sharpest.

My own line of thinking is that male and female traits are deeply rooted in biological differences, hormonally actuated to a large extent, and that the differences are complicated, as biological things often are.

I suppose we could pause and look at the varying shades of meanings of masculinity, maleness, manliness, virility, and so forth. I have the sense that masculinity is used more for the psychological side of human maleness, at least in everyday speech.

I think you have to start with something like these wikipedia definitions, which are amusingly non-parallel:

Masculinity is possessing qualities or characteristics considered typical of or appropriate to a man.

Femininity (also called womanliness or womanhood) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with girls and women.

There are clusters of traits
of various weights
which tend
to trend
by sex.

But the way they play out is complex.