Men, straight men, when they meet there is >kind of a jostling period where they feel >each other out, their strengths and >weaknesses, where they stand relative to >each other, then relax into a certain groove. >This is the male hierarchy. It is different >than the female hierarchy, which is more of >a pecking order - one woman is simply >above another and that is all there is to it. >For men, they all have different places in the >hierarchy according to their different traits >and abilities, but each man has his place >and is accorded with respect. If I have skills >a, b, c, and my friend has d, e, f, then I will >take the lead and he will take a subordinate >role in situations a, b, c and me vice versa. >We are two equals sharing a division of >labor based on our abilities. Even if one >man's ability greatly exceeds another he will >still treat the other with a basic sense of >fraternity and respect. A lieutenant will still >salute a private, just not quite as crisply and >promptly

Men, straight men, when they meet there is kind of a jostling period where they feel each other out, their strengths and weaknesses, where they stand relative to each other, then relax into a certain groove. This is the male hierarchy. It is different than the female hierarchy, which is more of a pecking order - one woman is simply above another and that is all there is to it. For men, they all have different places in the hierarchy according to their different traits and abilities, but each man has his place and is accorded with respect. If I have skills a, b, c, and my friend has d, e, f, then I will take the lead and he will take a subordinate role in situations a, b, c and me vice versa. We are two equals sharing a division of labor based on our abilities. Even if one man's ability greatly exceeds another he will still treat the other with a basic sense of fraternity and respect. A lieutenant will still salute a private, just not quite as crisply and promptly