Men: Finding Their Way Home to Their Full Humanity
Men can shed their mechanistic identity.
Posted December 2, 2025 | Reviewed by Michelle Quirk
I see the Industrial Revolution as tearing men away from home. It literally forced men off their farms. It also served to disconnect men from their bodies. Their bodies no longer related to livestock, caring for animals, planting, and harvesting what would feed them and their families. They built machines, worked with them, repaired them, and eventually began identifying with them. Even when they worked with the land, there was a shift from a relationship with it to power over it with excavators, bulldozers, and backhoes.
The Mechanistic Identity
As men spent more and more time in factories with machines, their identities became more machine-like. Put energy in (eating), turn it on (punching the timecard), and a product is the outcome ( I am what I produce ). Any mystery identified with the nature of manhood is now demystified. The ambiguity of a man’s manhood is replaced by the formula of being machine-like, with the manly motto being, “I provide for my family.” Providing meant using the money generated by being a machine to support my family’s needs.
Let’s look at some characteristics of the male mechanistic identity :
The good news is we can shed our mechanistic identity. It’s not something I advise trying alone. It’s a counter-cultural move for a man to honor the fullness of his humanity. Here are some suggested steps.
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Paul Dunion, Ed.D., has been in private practice as a psychotherapist and consultant for the past 45 years and has published eight books.
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.