Hyper masculinity or toxic masculinity is deeply embedded in our communities but few of us, especially males, are conscious of the fact.

The invisibility cloak surrounding this most pervasive influence on human behaviour, makes it much more dangerous.

In fact; hyper-masculine memes (ideas or concepts) infiltrate and influence most spheres of human activity. These include, politics, economics, religion, spiritualty, medicine, science, education, the media, social media platforms, sexual activity, racism, and more.

A deep exploration of the hyper-masculine is crucial for the future of humanity!

Before we begin this exploration it is important to recognise the existence of a range or continuum of masculinities.

traditionally however, societies around the world have overvalued the hyper masculine. The historical reasons for this are obvious, men needed hyper masculine attributes as protectors of the family, tribes, and as soldiers and hunters.

However, in the 21st century, the continued overemphasis on the hyper masculine underpins much of the gender violence and planetary destruction that we face today.

Sports coverage on the Evening News is one such example. Rather than showing a wide range of sports, hi-contact sports such as football, tend to dominate. While these sports attract high testosterone males, it may not cater for the large numbers of lower testosterone men and boys. As well, it supports the deeply embedded meme that the hyper muscular is something all men should embody.

In recent decades, this trend has been amplified by the use of PIEDS, performance and image enhancing drugs which often contain steroids and testosterone boosting products. The drug ice can also amplify hyper masculine behaviours.

The invisibility of male social programming is another challenge. Most of the men over 50 that I have spoken with remain oblivious to the extent of their programming. Men and boys routinely swim in a soup of hypermasculinity without conscious awareness of how they are being programmed to.