15 Comments
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Sally's avatar

I always tell my son, he is 17 that masculinity doesn't mean being tough, and connection doesn't mean you are weak. I like what you wrote, keep going.

M.A.D.Man's avatar

Thank you, I think it is important to talk about it with some substance beyond the Andrew Tate bravado nonsense.

Matthew Bennett's avatar

I think it's important, MAD, to talk about these things especially for the new generations, our teenage sons and nephews. There are so many strange influences out there today from random weirdos on the Internet that they can be watching or listening to on their phones on some platform without you even knowing about it. And it will affect their own image of themselves as well as among other men as they grow up and, of course, their relationships with women. So absolutely vital to think and talk about these things.

M.A.D.Man's avatar

Thank you so much for reading and giving such thoughtful feedback. I hope that I can give people something useful from my pain and journey.

Matthew Bennett's avatar

Was actually chatting to my sister about this topic yesterday. I have a teenage boy and she has his three teenage cousins, also all boys. We mentioned the toxic masculinity incel nonsense, the phones and apps problem, the drugs dangers nowadays (vs. when we were teenagers), the relationships with women problems and dangers, the whatsapp groups mini-culture dynamics. She enjoyed the Netflix series Adolescence very much in the spring, don’t know if you saw that.

M.A.D.Man's avatar

Yes I did, it was a great exploration of the effects of those pressures you talked about... I liked that it presented the idea of society having shared responsibility for its children too

Matthew Bennett's avatar

Right, it waa pretty good. I thought perhaps they could have a done a fifth episode from the perspective of the girl and her dad, and it would all have fit with the court case maybe.

M.A.D.Man's avatar

Interesting idea!!

Madonna's avatar

Your article about masculinity shows a unique approach towards it. Not just about dominance, but growth and truly finding one's self.

This is really good ❤️

M.A.D.Man's avatar

Thanks! Its great to hear that it resonated 😁

VedJournal ✍️📜's avatar

Hey writer, it is a really informative article on masculinity. I think masculinity started as a defensive approach from male during stone age era when they go for hunting big animals, the strength and the calibre with intelligence is a must requirement during hunting.

"many men perform masculinity out of fear of being seen as weak"

Thank you for sharing and keep writing 👍 👏

M.A.D.Man's avatar

Thank you for taking the time to read it and share your thoughts!

Anshulika Bansal's avatar

Absolutely loved this.

It’s rare to find such a thoughtful, grounded reflection on masculinity that doesn’t rely on clichés or defensiveness.

The idea of using solitude as space....not just for healing but for reimagining...is powerful.

I especially resonated with the shift from dominance to connection, and the suggestion that we don’t need to become someone else to grow, just more fully ourselves.

The archetypes are such a refreshing alternative to outdated ideals.

This post isn’t just insightful...it feels necessary.

M.A.D.Man's avatar

Thank you so much this is really great feedback! Its so good to hear that what I am doing resonates 😁

Anshulika Bansal's avatar

You’re welcome ☺️