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Sorry, But Male Geniuses Are Replaceable
Science is a process, and exaggerating a single person’s contributions prohibits progress — especially when that person derails women’s careers.
The archetype of the lone male genius has always existed.
For centuries, the image of a scientist has been a stagnant one: an eccentric and intelligent man, creating inventions in a laboratory or basement. We love the idea of the solitary genius scientist because he represents a male ideal that’s celebrated in history and literature and culture. He’s the cruelly witty Sherlock Holmes. He’s the lonesome and brilliant Nikola Tesla. He’s smart-ass scientist Grandpa Rick in Rick and Morty. If you go back far enough into ancient history, he’s Gilgamesh.
The lone male genius exists in patriarchal cultures that foster ambition and intelligence in men, putting those who embody this archetype on pedestals. Often those men, admired for their inventions and accomplishments, demonstrate the toxic behaviors associated with masculinity. Toxic masculinity isn’t just dangerous for women and those who don’t adhere to gender roles; it’s harmful for men by teaching them to be cold and cruel, with fragile egos. Some of them can be charismatic and manipulative, reveling…
