BE DECISIVE; BE CONFIDENT: The Myth of the Egalitarian Marriage.

Consider this scenario:

A married couple along with their two children are driving home from a weekend trip. As they round the corner their home comes into view. There are firetrucks and flashing lights. They simultaneously realize that their house has burned to the ground. One spouse emotionally melts down; turns to the other spouse; and with tears in their eyes and panic in their voice screams: “Oh my God! What are we going to do? Tell me, what are we going to do?”

Which spouse had the emotional meltdown?

Or to put it another way, which spouse has the option of emotionally melting down in this situation: the husband or the wife? The wife. Now, this doesn’t mean she must break down emotionally, but because she is a woman she has that option. It is accepted by society (including modern feminist society) that women have this option.

Men (married or single) do not have this option when a crisis occurs. They are expected to remain stoically calm, controlled, and clear headed. A husband who failed to do so in the above scenario would not only be called unmanly by even the most feminist of wives, but would be criticized for failing to support his wife emotionally (the wife that exercised her option of melting down emotionally; the option he never had). When a crisis strikes, egalitarian[ism] gets quickly forgotten.