Wrong. A man hiding his emotions is not manly. He's self-conscious and caring too much about other people's validation of his own emotions. By a show of hands, who cried at the end of the movie "Rudy"? I did and still do, even though I know what's coming. I can't even help it. I cry at the end of other
movies as well. Triumphs of the human spirit make me blubber like a little kid.
The reality is that you've seen me cry on multiple occasions in some of my more heartfelt videos. I could very easily edit out parts or wait until I compose myself so I don't show the emotional side of myself. But I've decided to leave those parts of me in the videos to let everybody else know that it's okay to show emotion. Showing emotion is NOT weakness -- and it's only natural.
Many mixed messages are out there in terms of masculinity and emotion. The book Emotional Intelligence discusses how
people (not just men) are not formally taught very much about how to process their feelings. Many (not all) girls end up informally doing it with their friends, but few boys do.
Men spend their lives largely emotionally isolated and with nobody teaching them how to make sense of what's going on in their heads. By the time men are adults, they don't like talking about emotion because it makes them feel like a 3-year-old talking about the Moon lander. Men should have the ability to express their feelings and talk about their feelings. But since they don't have the words, they don't have anything to say.
It is absolutely okay for a man to show emotion when he's happy or pissed or sad. My grandfather was a powerful man and somebody I revere as a quintessential embodiment of masculinity. As my grandfather got older, he became softer and was okay with showing emotion. It's not something to be ashamed of, and it's not a weakness.
I feel like I am more in touch with my emotions nowadays, but some things absolutely trigger me to get upset and cry. Not horrible or tragic situations – more like beautiful things, triumphs, people helping people, and people doing good things. These get me choked
up.
The producers do an excellent job with the emotional tales whenever the Iron Man triathlon is on TV. The stories destroy me. For instance, this guy pushes his son, who has cerebral palsy. When he puts him into the special boat, it absolutely rocks my world. It's like the Rudy phenomenon.
I read a comment in the Alpha M. Facebook group about men showing emotion. The member said that men shouldn't show emotion to women and that men should always be stoic. Quite the contrary, my friend. In a survey of 1,500 people by Elite Singles, 95% of
women say they prefer a man who is open about his emotions. Additionally, 97% say they find that men crying is considered strong, natural, or healthy. In contrast, one in six men believes that women don't want to see them show their emotions or cry, despite the finding that men are more likely to cry because of love than women!
After I cry about something, I feel so incredible. It's this flood and rush of emotions. Letting it out feels fantastic. Crying is not a sign of weakness instead, it is a sign of just being a strong person. Why? Because crying is natural and therapeutic.
Do not for one second think that crying or showing emotion is weakness. Showing emotion is absolutely amazing and beautiful. It doesn't make you a puss or any less of a man. As I said before, if a man hides his emotions, he is not manly-- he's too self-conscious and cares too much about other people's validation of his own emotions. Remember, you're incredible, masculine, and macho, even if you shed a few tears.
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Similar to Aaron, fitness and style are two things that have been insanely HUGE for my confidence! What helps you guys?
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