According to Ken Burns, democracy was not the revolution's intention but its consequence. Initially an "elitist program," the leaders realized they needed to enlist the masses to win. This forced them to extend the language of liberty to everyone, which, once spoken, could not be taken back and ultimately applied to all.

Malala attributes her unique journey not to her own special qualities, but to her father's choice to allow her to be an activist when other fathers stopped their daughters. This highlights the crucial role men play in dismantling patriarchy through active support and non-interference.

The central societal conflict is not between men and women, but between liberal and illiberal ideologies. Progress has historically been supported by coalitions across genders, just as the patriarchy has female supporters. Framing issues as a battle of the sexes is a counterproductive oversimplification of a deeper ideological divide.

Influential mothers of civil rights leaders like MLK Jr. were actively erased from historical accounts by scholars, despite their sons crediting them. This isn't an accidental omission but a strategic act to maintain a male-centric view of power and prevent new models of leadership from emerging.

Historian Anne Applebaum observes that significant US constitutional amendments often follow profound national traumas like the Revolution or the Civil War. This suggests that without a similar large-scale crisis, mustering the collective will to address deep-seated issues like systemic corruption is historically difficult, as there is no single moment of reckoning.

Dr. Shefali defines patriarchy not as a conscious conspiracy by men, but as an unconscious, systemic set of beliefs that subjugates women. Crucially, women co-create and perpetuate this system by internalizing its lies—seeking external validation, striving for perfection, and silencing their own voices to serve cultural norms.

The system of American patriarchy, which elevates dominance, is detrimental even to its primary beneficiaries. It forces men to sever their natural connectedness to others and deny their own vulnerability, leading to negative personal and societal outcomes.

Policies that once legally barred married women from working have a lasting legacy. Modern workplace challenges for mothers, such as being pushed out or lacking support, are not individual failings but are rooted in this historical, systemic discrimination.

The US was structured as a republic, not a pure democracy, to protect minority rights from being overridden by the majority. Mechanisms like the Electoral College, appointed senators, and constitutional limits on federal power were intentionally undemocratic to prevent what the founders called "mobocracy."