Gallantry is a virtue that dare not speak its name.

Christina Hoff Sommers reviews Manliness by Harvey Mansfield. I was struck by her observation:

74% of the women passengers survived the April 15, 1912, calamity, while 80% of the men perished.

She notes:

Today, almost no one remembers those men. Women no longer bring flowers to the [memorial] on April 15 to honor their chivalry. The idea of male gallantry makes many women nervous, suggesting (as it does) that women require special protection. It implies the sexes are objectively different. It tells us that some things are best left to men. Gallantry is a virtue that dare not speak its name.

"Gallantry is a virtue that dare not speak its name." Hmmmm.

What does it come to when what used to be considered a good characteristic of men is something to be ashamed of along with a propensity to avoid housework....?

Tags: Gallantry, Titanic, Manliness, Virtue