UNTAMED

 

     Author Glennon Doyle shows us how to be "Untamed."  Wild creatures know how to take care of themselves, but people will put them in cages and try to tame them.  Humans often try to tame each other which distracts them from living the way nature intended.  Doyle states that "our culture was built upon and benefits from the control of women."  She continues that "when the world told me that a real girl is small, quiet, pretty, accommodating, and pleasant, I believed that this was the Truth.  I breathed in those lies, and they made me sick."  She tells girls that "you get to be everything: loud quiet bold smart careful impulsive creative joyful big angry curious ravenous ambitious."

     "Our men are caged, too.  The parts of themselves they must hide to fit into those cages are the slices of their humanity our culture has labeled 'feminine' - traits like mercy, tenderness, softness, quietness, kindness, humility, uncertainty, empathy, connection."  "The problem is that the parts of themselves that our boys have been banished from are not feminine traits; they are human traits."

     Doyle discusses sexism and racism. "Maybe we'll admit that liberty and justice for all has always meant liberty for white straight wealthy men.  Then maybe we'll gather the entire family at the table - the women and the gay and black and brown folks and those in power."

     "Often our beliefs are programmed into us without our knowledge by our culture, community, religion, and family."  "There is nothing more important than unearthing  what we really believe to be true about ourselves and the world."  Glennon Doyle explains how she freed herself from the cages holding her back from her truth and thus shows us how to free ourselves.  Whether or not you believe that God has something to do with finding Knowledge, Doyle leads us toward a more meaningful life.