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I like your comment, Yin and Yang. I qgree with your comments about the commentary disparaging Kipling's perspective and add that they take no account of the times in which Kipling wrote. Almost inevitably, the flaws commonly attributed to his poem, are simply perspectives of the time - not actually flaws at all, except when considered from a future he never knew.

One of the comments also stated that he showed no compassion in the poem. I disagree. Indeed, I feel the whole tone of the poem is aimed at fostering thought and recognition of other points of view yet, at the same time, being prepared to stand your ground if you firmly believe that you have considered fairly and have the right on your side.

Your comment regarding acknowledging and embracing strengths from different perspectives is very pertinent. My own way of expressing it is to say that we should welcome difference as opportunity and embrace collaboration with those who think differently to ourselves, for that very synergy allows us to both understand one another better and to learn from one another.

I see the saddest aspect of this topic as the very failure to understand that Kipling was not writing about men only or men as compared with women. The poem is about values that stand well above the commonality of gender difference and the multiplicity of fallacious statements or self-serving attitudes about it.

If I was to criticise the poem for a negative element of substance, it would be its didactic style but given when it was written, even that in my view is excusable and almost to be expected.