“Again and again a man would tell me about early childhood feelings of emotional exuberance, of unrepressed joy, of feeling connected to life and to other people, and then a rupture happened, a disconnect, and that feeling of being loved, of being embraced, was gone. Somehow the test of manhood, men told me, was the willingness to accept this loss, to not speak it even in private grief. Sadly, tragically, these men in great numbers were remembering a primal moment of heartbreak and heartache: the moment that they were compelled to give up their right to feel, to love, in order to take their place as patriarchal men.”

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About bell hooks

bell hooks is an American cultural critic and feminist theorist. She is best known for her accessible, intersectional writings on race, gender, and education, blending academic rigor with a commitment to social justice. Her work remains influential in discussions about identity and systemic change.

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"Again and again a man would tell me about early childhood feelings of…" — bell hooks | Daily Quotes