Chivalry is pretty much dead, and we got to watch it die, starting in the 60s when some women decided it was sexist in that it promoted the idea of strong men and weak women, an idea that had to be ditched if there was ever to be true equality. We have not leveled the field so much as we have removed one of the biggest connstraints on male aggression. So maybe we should give chivalry another chance:
Chivalry is about respect. It is about not harming or hurting others, especially those who are more vulnerable than you. It is about putting other people first and serving others often in a heroic or courageous manner. It is about being polite and courteous. In other words, chivalry in the age of post-feminism is another name we give to civility. When we give up on civility, understood in this way, we can never have relationships that are as meaningful as they could be.
If women today—feminists and non-feminists alike—encouraged both men and women to adopt the principles of civil and chivalrous conduct, then the standards of behavior for the two sexes would be the same, fostering the equality that feminists desire. Moreover, the relations between the sexes would be once again based on mutual respect, as the traditionalists want. Men and women may end up being civil and well-mannered in different ways, but at least they would be civil and well-mannered, an improvement on the current situation.
Sounds a lot like the Golden Rule. Wise advice really is timeless, isn't it?
