Swipe Left on Ancient Attitudes

While hunting for a compelling quote on a particular topic, I stumbled across an oldie but not-so-goodie by Hesiod, an ancient Greek poet and mythmaker. This guy, writing between 750 and 650 BCE, declared, “Whoever has trusted a woman has trusted deceivers.” My immediate reaction was, “Who hurt you, Hesiod?” FYI, this is also the man behind the story of Pandora’s Box, so yeah, I think that’s a fair question.

Intrigued and a little appalled, I dug deeper into his work and found this other gem: “Do not let a flattering woman coax and wheedle you and deceive you; she is after your barn.” Hesiod must have had one heck of a barn because I can’t imagine sitting through a single dinner with the man, much less wanting to flatter, coax, wheedle, and deceive him.

I’ve never swiped through a dating app, but if I did and Hesiod popped up with all his misogynistic glory, I’d swipe left so hard I might break my thumb! You can just picture him posing with a fish in his profile picture, boasting about being an “alpha male searching for a high-value female.”

And let’s not forget his thoughts on marriage. I can’t help but feel retroactively sorry for poor Mrs. Hesiod, if she existed. Big barn or not, the man was clearly no prize! But, hey, he did win a tripod in a singing competition once, so maybe his wife (assuming there was one) was drawn to bad boy rocker types.

Modern Echoes of Ancient Grumbles

So, why drag up the dusty words of this curmudgeonly ancient poet? Because Hesiod’s quotes remind us that some attitudes never truly die, they just get a makeover. Hesiod might’ve been paranoid about women plotting to swindle him out of his precious barn, but today we see echoes of these sentiments in modern forms.

Take the “alpha male” archetype we see today — the kind of guy who’s “red-pilled” and constantly talking about “protecting his assets.” Sound familiar? These are the Hesiods of the 21st century, viewing relationships through a lens of suspicion and control, convinced everyone’s out to take something from them.

Or look at the toxic masculinity that teaches men to distrust and dominate rather than connect and communicate. Hesiod’s warnings about women could easily be the top comment on a YouTube video about “traditional values” or the subject of a heated Twitter debate on “modern dating.” For that matter, you’ll even hear them echoed in political speeches under the guise of “family values.”

But here’s the thing: just because these ideas have ancient roots doesn’t mean we should let them take root in modern soil. In an age where we’re striving for equality and understanding in relationships, it’s crucial to recognize and reject the harmful narratives that still hang around like uninvited guests.

Instead of viewing others as potential deceivers out to steal our barns — or our peace of mind — we can choose to approach relationships with trust, respect, and open communication. We don’t have to let the fears and insecurities of the past dictate how we interact today.

So, the next time you run into a Hesiod in your life — whether online, in person, or in the voting booth — remember you have the power to swipe left on outdated attitudes. You can choose to build relationships based on mutual respect, not mistrust. And you can be part of a modern world that values connection over control and empathy over paranoia.

After all, the ancient Greeks might have invented the odometer, but isn’t it time we move forward and leave those outdated values in the dust?