Am I just lying to teenage boys and girls?

I’ve mentioned in passing within this newsletter that I do a lot of volunteer work with young people, particularly young men. At least once or twice a week I'm speaking to a room of teenage boys, or boys and girls together.

All I want, my ONLY goal when I'm in those rooms, is to try to present to them a model of masculinity that is empathetic, emotionally open, caring and kind and loving and thoughtful and concerned with the wellbeing of the marginalized and forgotten. That sees women as human beings of equal standing.

For the young men, I want them to see that this approach to manhood is possible, that it's in reach, that it's not in any way a reduction of their masculinity — and that it's not only morally responsible, but personally rewarding to live this way. It brings joy to others, but it also brings joy to YOU. I want them to believe that the world REWARDS this version of manhood.

For the young women, it's even simpler. I want them to see that they can expect this of the men in their life. That they have choices in the mindsets and behaviors they accept in their friends, coworkers, and perhaps most importantly, their partners. That misogyny is not only wrong and unacceptable but that it is broadly, culturally KNOWN to be wrong and unacceptable. That the world is on their side.

Today, more than anything, I find myself overwhelmed with just how much of an uphill battle delivering this message has become.

When the world's most powerful politician, the world's most powerful businessperson (Musk), and arguably the Western world's most influential media personality (Rogan) are all publicly, deeply misogynistic, unthoughtful, emotionally and morally bankrupt —

When they represent the worst, most misguided and historically devastating understanding of what it means to be a man —

And we continue to reward those people with more power and influence for those mindsets and behaviors...

What do I do with that?

How do our young men and women stand a chance?

How do I stand up and tell them the world rewards goodness, when they spend 8 hours a day staring into a little black brick that streams proof from around the world that this just isn't true?

How can I convince a 16 year old boy of the importance of doing what's right, when the world measures "right" in terms of power and wealth, and the most powerful and wealthy people are morally bankrupt?

How can I convince a 16 year old girl of her value, when the world constantly expresses — in media and in at ballot box — just how little it values her?

Maybe this election won't lead to the collapse of my birth nation. Maybe it won't lead to the downfall of democracy. Maybe, against all odds, tariffs will be good for the economy!

But if the cost is that the most culturally influential nation on the planet sends a message loudly and clearly to the world that the needs and concerns of half of all human beings are secondary…

Then so what?