Pixabay
There are plenty of societal expectations men are expected to abide by, and while people are slowly realizing that dealing with problems via stoicism isn’t exactly the healthiest thing in the world, it’s impossible to deny these stigmas still exist.
Based on my extensive time on the internet, I’m sure this headline alone will be enough to make certain groups irrationally outraged, but I’m not arguing men have it worse than everyone else— it’s just that they have problems they have to deal with along with the rest of the general population.
In many cases, guys are judged if they have the nerve to express certain emotions that don’t confine to the antiquated definition of “manliness” and I think we can all agree we’re not doing each other any favors.
On Wednesday, screenwriter Caitlin Moran took to Twitter and asked guys to share the downsides of being a man.
https://twitter.com/caitlinmoran/status/1052887974784983041
As you’ll soon see, things got very real very quickly.
One of the most popular responses shined a light on the lack of support many guys experience when they’re going through a rough time.
Probably the worst part about being a man is the fact that we all have real problems and would love to have support to deal with them, but once someone expresses it, he constantly gets told his problems don't exist, even when they're staring him in the face.
— Burkhart (@BigJBurkhart) October 19, 2018
Another respondent emphasized how men are perceived as weak based on totally normal emotional traits.
https://twitter.com/KipMcdonagh/status/1053099434467360768
While this is nowhere near unique to men, another person noted the downsides of the unrealistic standards guys are expected to meet.
https://twitter.com/nathanveshecco/status/1053129826067009536
There’s also the pressures that come with being a dad.
I would say newer fathers are trying to be very involved fathers but we don't have any models for how to do so cause previous generations allowed fathers to hide in their work or commutes! I struggle sometimes as a father of 2 beautiful boys because the map is sparse
— Ted Auch (@lsarpp) October 19, 2018
It’s also impossible to ignore the lack of mental health support many guys are forced to deal with (which, again, isn’t exclusive to men).
What I’ve noticed more than anything is that we only ever seem to talk about men and mental health AFTER a tragedy occurs. Then we brand them psychopaths and shame them for not seeking help from a society that tells them everyday to just “man up and shut up”.
— Molotov Cocktail (@MollyCocktail) October 19, 2018
I think most guys out there would agree we have it pretty good but I think it’s important to occasionally take a step back and take a look at many of the issues that were brought up in this thread.
It’s certainly not going to hurt.