Photograph of Otto Warmbier from his LinkedIn page.

Some years ago, I saw an exhibit at Mass MoCA in North Adams, Mass. in which a male artist included an image of the Y chromosome. It’s much smaller than the X chromosome. And it’s been shrinking.

I couldn’t help but think of this on the death of Otto Warmbier, the young American imprisoned and apparently tortured for allegedly taking a propaganda poster off the wall of a North Korean hotel. Returned to his homeland in a coma, he died six days later on June 19.

Lost, however, in the geopolitical story – the barbarism of North Korea, the failure of the Chinese to contain it and the challenge this poses for America – is both the larger and deeper cultural and psychological story. It is a narrative that says simply no one does stupid like a stupid man.

Why would you go to such a country? And, having gone to such a country, why would commit an act of theft and/or vandalism or even put yourself in such a situation? I can tell you now that I am a world traveler that I have learned you keep your eyes down, your ears open and your mouth shut. You stick with the tour group. We have, however, seen this before, haven’t we, with Ryan Lochte and poster-gate at the Rio Games. Granted, that was more of a scandalous farce – with the decorated swimmer and his companions getting into a drunken p----ing contest at a gas station therethat resulted in Lochte ripping a poster off a wall – but then Brazil is no North Korea, thank God. Still the incident seriously damaged Lochte’s reputation and American-Brazilian relations. And for what?Because he had to go mano a mano with the locals.

Male risk-taking – particularly white, male risk-taking – has contributed greatly to civilization, and just as greatly to its destruction.

No one should have to die for it. But apparently Warmbier did.