Cojones - small or large
This morning I read or heard someone comment (I cannot now locate the source) describing the bellicose, threatening speech by President Trump to the General Assembly of the United Nation, as “Finally a president with balls.” Once again, I found myself wondering about the use of certain parts of the human anatomy to describe a character trait. In the case of the word balls, the Spanish word cojones or the more formal testicles, there seems to be a long history of associating the quality of courage with the size of the male genitalia. Historically, frequently, large testicles are synonymous with potency, strength or courage although there is a “strain in Classical art associating heroic virtue (including courage) with small testicles and comic figures with grotesquely exaggerated members.” *
There are also instances of using the words balls or the Spanish word cojones to indicate courage with speaking of the action of a woman. For example, the former United States Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin said of the then Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, “She has the cojones that our president does not have.” *
Historically the Greeks were not bashful about using sculptures of male genital to denote strength or fertility such as with Pan, the son of Hermes. Ancient Indian culture also makes use of the phallus as a symbol of Shiva, one of the deities of the Hindu religion. In ancient Rome, the phallus -the fascines or fascinum - was often used as a symbol of manhood, marital sex or security It could also refer to the deity himself.
In the United States, as in other countries, the words cojones and balls are frequently used to refer to physical courage although I have, on occasion, heard it used to refer to moral courage. Most males seem, however to have a difficult time associating it with the challenge of Jesus to turn the other cheek.
Physically, as is obvious, only males have testicles or balls thus lending support to those who continue to equate leadership of the family, community, country, or company with males.
At the same time, again in the United States and many other countries, moral leadership of the family is often assigned to the mother. Yet, the sort of leadership which President Trump was advocating towards countries such as Venezuela and North Korea has more to do with physical strength of weapons and the courage to out bully the bully.
If I honestly, as a male, believe that my strength lies in my physical strength and, thus, in the health of my testicles (personal or in the form of weapons) and the courage to engage in physical battle it would behoove me to do all that I can to enhance the health of my testicles and to be prepared to built up my arsenal of guns and other weapons.
Those who are regular readers of this blog or who personally know me will not be surprised to learn that I do not think that my strength lies in my testicles, my personal physical strength or a willingness to use weapons such as guns to kill those I believe are a threat to me (even if their threat is a response to my historic threat). My personal belief is that the strength of all us lies in our courage to live by a set of beliefs which honors the sacredness of all of the universe(s). I also believe that, Sarah Palin not withstanding, I will learn more about strength from my female’s friends (and some males to be sure) and heroes than I will from those males (or females) who are physically the strongest and/or have the largest arsenals of weapons such as guns.
I did not find the bully speech of President Trump courageous or admirable in any way. While I am committed to finding a way to reduce nuclear weapons or any threat of violence of one nation or group against another, I do not believe that history will show that long term peace is achieved with violence. While I do not believe that despotic dictators are moral in any sense of the word, I also do not think that accepting the invitation by a bully to engage in a “pissing contest” will prove effective on the long run. If we, as a nation, are truly concerned about human rights and the long term security of all people we will commit ourselves to finding ways of reducing our nuclear arsenal, of selling and giving fewer weapons to other countries, reducing guns in the United States, and finding ways of insuring decent housing, adequate food, and quality health care to all. We will treat the mentally ill not as criminals but as sacred human who need safe, humane, loving care. We will treat the addicted with the same care. We will no longer teach our children that bigger and more is better but will take and use only what we need and take time to enjoy our individual and collective dances.
In short we will revise our thinking and then our language to reflect a new understanding of strength, virility and courage.
*Juliet Lapidos in an article on Slate.com entitled “A Ballsy Explainer, when did testicles become courageous?”
Written September 20, 2017
This morning I read or heard someone comment (I cannot now locate the source) describing the bellicose, threatening speech by President Trump to the General Assembly of the United Nation, as “Finally a president with balls.” Once again, I found myself wondering about the use of certain parts of the human anatomy to describe a character trait. In the case of the word balls, the Spanish word cojones or the more formal testicles, there seems to be a long history of associating the quality of courage with the size of the male genitalia. Historically, frequently, large testicles are synonymous with potency, strength or courage although there is a “strain in Classical art associating heroic virtue (including courage) with small testicles and comic figures with grotesquely exaggerated members.” *
There are also instances of using the words balls or the Spanish word cojones to indicate courage with speaking of the action of a woman. For example, the former United States Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin said of the then Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, “She has the cojones that our president does not have.” *
Historically the Greeks were not bashful about using sculptures of male genital to denote strength or fertility such as with Pan, the son of Hermes. Ancient Indian culture also makes use of the phallus as a symbol of Shiva, one of the deities of the Hindu religion. In ancient Rome, the phallus -the fascines or fascinum - was often used as a symbol of manhood, marital sex or security It could also refer to the deity himself.
In the United States, as in other countries, the words cojones and balls are frequently used to refer to physical courage although I have, on occasion, heard it used to refer to moral courage. Most males seem, however to have a difficult time associating it with the challenge of Jesus to turn the other cheek.
Physically, as is obvious, only males have testicles or balls thus lending support to those who continue to equate leadership of the family, community, country, or company with males.
At the same time, again in the United States and many other countries, moral leadership of the family is often assigned to the mother. Yet, the sort of leadership which President Trump was advocating towards countries such as Venezuela and North Korea has more to do with physical strength of weapons and the courage to out bully the bully.
If I honestly, as a male, believe that my strength lies in my physical strength and, thus, in the health of my testicles (personal or in the form of weapons) and the courage to engage in physical battle it would behoove me to do all that I can to enhance the health of my testicles and to be prepared to built up my arsenal of guns and other weapons.
Those who are regular readers of this blog or who personally know me will not be surprised to learn that I do not think that my strength lies in my testicles, my personal physical strength or a willingness to use weapons such as guns to kill those I believe are a threat to me (even if their threat is a response to my historic threat). My personal belief is that the strength of all us lies in our courage to live by a set of beliefs which honors the sacredness of all of the universe(s). I also believe that, Sarah Palin not withstanding, I will learn more about strength from my female’s friends (and some males to be sure) and heroes than I will from those males (or females) who are physically the strongest and/or have the largest arsenals of weapons such as guns.
I did not find the bully speech of President Trump courageous or admirable in any way. While I am committed to finding a way to reduce nuclear weapons or any threat of violence of one nation or group against another, I do not believe that history will show that long term peace is achieved with violence. While I do not believe that despotic dictators are moral in any sense of the word, I also do not think that accepting the invitation by a bully to engage in a “pissing contest” will prove effective on the long run. If we, as a nation, are truly concerned about human rights and the long term security of all people we will commit ourselves to finding ways of reducing our nuclear arsenal, of selling and giving fewer weapons to other countries, reducing guns in the United States, and finding ways of insuring decent housing, adequate food, and quality health care to all. We will treat the mentally ill not as criminals but as sacred human who need safe, humane, loving care. We will treat the addicted with the same care. We will no longer teach our children that bigger and more is better but will take and use only what we need and take time to enjoy our individual and collective dances.
In short we will revise our thinking and then our language to reflect a new understanding of strength, virility and courage.
*Juliet Lapidos in an article on Slate.com entitled “A Ballsy Explainer, when did testicles become courageous?”
Written September 20, 2017
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