It's just one of countless stereotypes that never seem to go away: that men are purely rational creatures who don't show emotion.
I am a man and not ashamed to admit that I show a healthy dose of emotion. I can't bear to see a dead animal, or one in any sort of pain. I had a cat for 25 years that I found dead in my yard in 2005. I had another cat who vanished on a cool December night, never to be seen again. I found my third cat -- only about a year and a half at the time -- lying lifeless across the street from my home. I cried all three times as if i had lost a member of the family. I also cry whenever I see sad stories involving animals in movies or TV shows.
I have also cried when I have confronted challenging moments, like when I was laid off in the throes of the financial crisis and felt like I'd never find a half-decent job.
So, if there was any doubt in your mind as to whether men have shows of affection, there's your answer.
Now, for women, is there such a thing as men displaying too much emotion? I think the answer is yes.
From what I've seen and heard, women want their men to be strong and be able to comfort them in times of hardship or despair. They want their men to be their rock of support -- a shoulder to cry on. I don't think women mind that men show emotion so long as the man doesn't cry as much as or more than she does. In that case, she might feel like the man in the relationship.
As I've stressed in many posts to my readers, balance is key with everything in life -- whether it's eating, working, or displaying emotion. But it irks me to no end when men are lampooned for expressing their feelings. It doesn't make them weak -- it makes them human.
I am a man and not ashamed to admit that I show a healthy dose of emotion. I can't bear to see a dead animal, or one in any sort of pain. I had a cat for 25 years that I found dead in my yard in 2005. I had another cat who vanished on a cool December night, never to be seen again. I found my third cat -- only about a year and a half at the time -- lying lifeless across the street from my home. I cried all three times as if i had lost a member of the family. I also cry whenever I see sad stories involving animals in movies or TV shows.
I have also cried when I have confronted challenging moments, like when I was laid off in the throes of the financial crisis and felt like I'd never find a half-decent job.
So, if there was any doubt in your mind as to whether men have shows of affection, there's your answer.
Now, for women, is there such a thing as men displaying too much emotion? I think the answer is yes.
From what I've seen and heard, women want their men to be strong and be able to comfort them in times of hardship or despair. They want their men to be their rock of support -- a shoulder to cry on. I don't think women mind that men show emotion so long as the man doesn't cry as much as or more than she does. In that case, she might feel like the man in the relationship.
As I've stressed in many posts to my readers, balance is key with everything in life -- whether it's eating, working, or displaying emotion. But it irks me to no end when men are lampooned for expressing their feelings. It doesn't make them weak -- it makes them human.
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