Gilbert Herdt > Quotes

“Nature is never constrained to change, and that which is once formed cannot simply will to reverse itself wrongly, since desire is not nature. Desire can alter the character of something already formed, but it cannot remake its nature... (Clement of Alexandria d. ca. 215 A.D.)”
― Gilbert Herdt, Third Sex, Third Gender: Beyond Sexual Dimorphism in Culture and History

“Femininity unfolds naturally, whereas masculinity must be achieved; and here is where the male ritual cult steps in.”
― Gilbert Herdt, Rituals of Manhood: Male Initiation in Papua New Guinea