Review: Self-Made Man: One Woman's Journey Into Manhood and Back Again

Self-Made Man: One Woman's Journey Into Manhood and Back Again by Norah Vincent
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book a great deal. Like other reviewers, I have to agree that it is filled with hasty generalizations, but provided that a reader realizes the book is a *personal perspective* and not a scientifically valid experiment it does add value.

I mostly find the book useful in attempting to assist people infected by intentional propaganda defense reflex. When people are in that state they tend towards irrational hostility when their identity matrix comes under perceived threat. That's the whole point of identity politics: radicalization.

People infected by the idea that what they hold most dear is under threat will nearly always lash out with hostility towards anyone that even appears to be resistant to their identity affiliation. For example, a person that passionately hates discrimination (racism, sexism, etc...) can become one of the most bigoted sexists or racists when infected with this kind of trust exploit.

This book is an example of an identity counterpoint. A person who is gay/queer challenging their own bias in a direct way and finding that it was unfair. A person infected by bias experiences an identity association conflict between the idea that everyone like them feels the same way and this direct evidence that not everyone like them feels the same way.

Once presented with a direct contradiction to the bias, they become more open to the possibility that bias exists, and more capable of fair examination of available evidence.

Thank you Norah, for being brave enough and dedicated enough to do this for all of us.

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