March Essay Competition

March 9 — March 22, 2026,

Prompt

The average man, regardless of creed, family background, religion, personal convictions, or social, economic, or marital status, will always feel threatened or intimidated by a successful, strong, independent woman.

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Essay

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A Strong Woman Does Not Threaten a Man

By Oluwaseun Balogun

March 15, 2026 · 981 words · 5 min read

"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." This is an ancient mariner adage that development needs an exploration into deep and even uncomfortable waters. The society has been working under a shallow definition of what a man should be, over the decades, implying that he is only safe in his identity when he is the undisputed master of his household ship. This has contributed towards the general perception that the average man irrespective of his background will always feel small or threatened around an independent successful woman. It is a compelling narrative, yet one that is based on a very weak conception of masculinity. Although it is a fact that, many men have difficulties adapting to the social situation that is constantly churning, the concept of intimidation being a universal male reaction is a stale stereotype that disregards the extent of our development. It is becoming clear that modern masculinity is getting empowered by the need to be with others and show respect, as opposed to the desire to be the best. This essay therefore approaches the argument from a more nuanced perspective.  To comprehend why there are people who still think that a female is a threat to the male gender, we must refer to the scripts we were provided with by the older generations. The value of a man was long connected, particularly in the middle of the twentieth century, to the fact that he is the only breadwinner. In case a woman were able to support herself, the logic of the earlier times was that the man was unnecessary. This sense of threat does not pertain as much to the success of a woman, but of a man being in fear of having lost his traditional role. But a history will tell us that this was not always the case. Men and women had worked side by side long before the era of industrialization in farms and in small trades, the ability of a woman to do this was regarded as the blessing to the survival of the family, but not a loss to the man and his ego. We are just going back to a time when the ability of a partner is regarded as a common good. Psychology tends to describe this tension by the concept of a zero-sum game, the assumption that when one party benefits, the other one has to suffer. A study by scientists at the University of Virginia published in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (2013) demonstrated that certain men experienced a blow on their self-esteem by their partners when they were not competing, but they were doing better than their partners. The reason is that most men have been brought up believing that their value is relative that they feel that they must be better so that their partner can be lesser. The fact is that, intimidation is a reflection of a male insecurity, rather than a bad female accomplishment. Successful women are the ones that are attracted by secure men. As a matter of fact, a 2021 study by the University of Bath discovered that younger men are currently actively searching for equal partners who have high education levels and this proves that the average man is shifting in favor of intellectual and financial synergy. The best evidence of this change in the life of high performance couples such as Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian is the most relatable evidence. Ever since they got married in 2017, Ohanian has publicly acknowledged that he is the biggest fan of his wife and is regularly spotted in the stands with a shirt bearing her image on it. Being a successful technological founder himself, he does not feel that her being the GOAT ( greatest of all time) is a threat to his manhood and to the contrary, he perceives her greatness as a pride to their family. The collaboration of an international sports star and a tech giant proves that a masculine figure can be the supporting partner in the most significant moments of his partner and retain his identity. The synergy model is just an indication that once two individuals are confident with themselves, success becomes something to partake rather than something to be feared.But we also cannot ignore that this threat is a social ghost far more often than a personal reality, and this manifests what experts refer to as a Double Bind. According to a well-known 2016 Harvard Business School study, single female students tended to undermines their career ambitions when they feared being viewed as undesirable by men. This shows irony in a tragic manner: women are even withholding themselves so as not to threaten something that many contemporary men do not really feel. The threatened man is more of a cultural myth and this myth is what always lingers in our mind even after it has already decayed in our real relationship. By holding on to the belief that men are naturally soft, we deny both sexes an opportunity to be their most enterprising and supportive.In addition, a successful woman is not a threat to a man; she does not make him a burden of being the only provider. This enables the two partners to become complete versions of themselves, they will share responsibilities, follow their passions and it will create a life they will create with each other as equals rather than provider and dependent.Finally, the notion that the success of a woman should be a threat to a man is an old concept. To be able to stand above people is not being strong enough, but to stand next to them and be sure about it. A successful woman is no danger, but collaborator in development, just as a ship braves the open sea, true partnership thrives when both sail forward, not against each other, but together towards uncharted horizons.