Recent events remind us that political violence rarely ends with one act—it sparks more violence. Politicians then exploit that violence to score ideological points or to win votes. But too often, the spotlight skips over the men who actually commit these acts. On this episode of Revealing Men, host Randy Flood takes on a question he’s been wrestling with for decades: what causes manhood to turn deadly?
Flood challenges the idea that political ideology or heated rhetoric alone can explain America’s staggering number of mass shootings and recent ones categorized as political violence. After all, as he notes, plenty of women get angry and frustrated, even with the state of our nation and its players, yet nearly all mass shooters and assassins are men. Why?
With honesty and urgency, Flood turns the conversation toward what really drives men—especially young, white men—to enact their rage through violence. This episode invites listeners to look beyond partisan blame and grapple with deeper, more all-encompassing issues that plague men: the unhealthy and potentially dangerous way masculinity is narrowly defined and lived out in America today. Flood argues that rather than teaching males to talk it out, society tells men to either suck it up or act out feelings they dare not admit to themselves or others. This, Flood argues, causes problems for many men, and for a minority of men, it leads to lethal acts of violence.
Imagine a Different Way
Flood closes the podcast with these words:
“Friends, these are anxious times. Violence … feels close, but the way forward is not to build bigger walls or trade blame boxes; it’s to name the truth. A narrow, dominance-driven definition of masculinity, one that prizes conquests and power at the expense of others, is a root problem. …. If we can change what we mean by being a man, if we can build deeper connection, honest accountability, and courageous compassion, then we can protect our communities from both the sudden violence of a planning mind, a retribution mind, and the slow violence of institutional power that erodes communities. That’s what I believe, and that’s what we must work for.”
Listen and Learn More
Listen to this Revealing Men segment on the podcast platform of your choice. And for more conversations on the challenges men face, you can revisit the following podcasts and articles on this site:
- Combating the Masculine Identity Crisis
- Reimagining Healing and Masculinity with Marcel Price
- Why It’s Difficult for Men to Seek Therapy and Ask for Help
- Societal Expectations about Masculinity
- Beauty and Benefits of Masculinity
- Mass Shootings: Canary in the Coal Mine for Crisis in Men’s Mental Health
Contact the Men’s Resource Center
The Men’s Resource Center provides in-person and online counseling, therapy, and coaching. Men can participate in men’s support groups as well as in individual sessions. For more information about these and other services, visit the “services” page on this site, call us at (616) 456-1178, or contact us online.
Dear Randy,
I enjoyed your analysis of males.
Thank you for your mission. Such youth-aged crimes beggar creative and productive solutions. Unthinkable crimes, but sadly true. Where does such behavior take root? Most male violence is toward males. An excellent and enlightening book about its causes and solutions is:
Why Young Men: Rage, Race and the Crisis of Identity: Jamil Jivani
This is a very solid and readable summary of the problem. He has just become an inspiring Canadian member of the House of Commons at 37! He places the absent father as a central cause in young criminal behavior. Older perpetrators may have had absent fathers and dysfunctional families.
Sadly we males are the cause of most of the negative things in history. The root causes of bad behavior can be revenge, anger, thwarting justice, jealousy, excitement, greed, economic gain, racism, lack of guilt, sexual gratification, sadism and self-aggrandizement. Destructive self-interest is at its core.
Keep up your great mission! Thank you!
Richard Templeton, M.D. Psychiatrist, Annapolis, Maryland
My website badmalebehavior.com is a resource for all. Circulate it as you wish.
Addition/Clarification: Randy, I added your podcast “Why Manhood Turns Deadly” to my badmalebehavior.com website. Thank you.
Richard.
Thanks Richard for your support and adding this to your website. Take care.