Originally posted by MackJr
Men have to put up with a lot of sh*t in this society.We're expected to do hard labor, earn money, act with total confidence and never take time for ourselves. We have to take on the burden of rejection in dating and pretend that it doesn't get to us. Start to explore your feelings to much and people accuse you of being gay. Any expression of emotion is considered weakness, so it just gets bottled inside.
The Terminator is the only socially sanctioned image of a man, when a real man is so much more.
No wonder men are so angry. There's nothing left to be after all that pressure.
You sound like a feminist complaining how women are expected to take care of the family and be keepers of the home, be submissive, and to be feminine and keep good hygiene. Dude, has it ever occurred to you that these are things worth doing? Let's go over what you said...
"do hard labor"
Physical labor is food for the male soul. Why do you think testosterone levels are much higher in blue collar laborers than in white collar cubicle sitters? And for that matter, why are athletes so much more masculine than guys who have no athletic ability/skill?
"earn money"
Of course! Would you rather earn money or NOT earn money? Wanna be broke? Or do you want it all handed to you? Guaranteed, earning it, making it happen, will give you that much more satisfaction.
"act with total confidence"
Nobody likes a cowardly/wimpy guy. They may feel sorry for him, true, but that's about it. These guys can't make things happen cuz they are too scared to do so. While the future leaders of tomorrow are running full throttle into their pursuits, these guys don't bother taking the risks necessary to do so.
"never take time for ourselves"
I wouldn't say never, but an excessive level of it is looked down on as narcissistic. And why not? Why spend an hour making yourself look good when you could spend 45-50 minutes of that doing something more productive?
"We have to take on the burden of rejection in dating and pretend that it doesn't get to us"
I prefer to take the burden of initiating than to have the girls do the initiating. When she is doing more than I am doing, it just feels a little odd. I love being the leader, the initiator. Fittingly, women love being the follower, without having the burden of being the one to make the moves.
"Start to explore your feelings to much and people accuse you of being gay"
Why explore your feelings TOO much? Do you
want drama in your life or something? Why think about what a crappy week you're having when you could be going out there doing something that could make your week so much better? By then, you will forget about the crap stuff because you will be thinking about all the FUN you are having.
"Any expression of emotion is considered weakness, so it just gets bottled inside"
Now that is completely and utterly false. It is in HOW you express it. Do you act defeated and overly burdened, and let your emotions overcome you, or are you driven to take action, with a fire in your belly, ready to overcome what crap has befallen you?
"The Terminator is the only socially sanctioned image of a man, when a real man is so much more."
Explain.
"No wonder men are so angry. There's nothing left to be after all that pressure"
It's a pressure I have learned to embrace. Why whine about your role when you can embrace it. I know I don't want a girlfriend or wife who wines about her "society defined female roles" or whatever. I want one who embraces those roles and enjoys just being feminine. I enjoy being masculine.