For so many years, the gender-defined role of a man was to be, well, manly. The definition of manliness was often associated with burliness, repressed emotion, not expressing sadness, and in many senses not expressing the compassion and empathy that men are so capable of providing.
Nowadays, established gender roles are dissolving and men across the globe are recognizing that it’s just as much their right to be compassionate and loving. Men aren’t repressing their emotions as often anymore, and they are learning how to express themselves while still holding on to ideals of manliness.
In this article, we’ll describe how the modern world is allowing for a change in the definition of what constitutes a man.
Men Are Now Taking Care of Their Minds and Feelings
For the majority of time that civilization has been around, men have been bound by unspoken rules. It was widely believed that men who wanted to take care of their families could not show emotion. They could not empathize fully with others, and they would not spend a lot of time trying to understand others – or themselves.
While these traits certainly led to a hardened man who could face tough situations with a straight face, it did little for the evolving emotional needs of today’s society. As society develops and humanity, as a whole, becomes more in tune with itself spiritually and emotionally, it becomes obvious that men (as well as women and children) would do well to acknowledge and embrace their feelings.
The huge amount of mental health information available nowadays has helped men educate themselves about both mental and emotional health. This has led to huge changes in the way that men approach themselves and their lives.
Nowadays, men have begun taking a number of steps to improve their emotional capacities and to improve their overall state of mental health.
- Men are not repressing their feelings as much. While men from older generations may still have a hard time opening up emotionally, younger men are becoming more comfortable expressing their feelings and being vulnerable.
Whereas even several decades ago, the typical ‘men’s group’ would consist of men drinking together and letting off steam, nowadays men’s groups are starting to form where men express themselves comfortably in an open environment.
- Men are taking time to understand themselves mentally. In the past, men tended not to pay attention to their mental health. It was not considered kosher to fret about problems like anxiety or depression. Instead, mental health problems were commonly covered up with destructive emotions like anger.
Many men who were depressed, stressed, or unhappy only knew how to express these feelings by getting angry or violent. Now, men are learning to understand that anger is rarely the best way to express themselves. Instead, they choose to understand their deeper emotions and deal with them appropriately.
Conclusion
Nowadays, being a man is much different than it was a few decades or centuries ago. Men still feel drawn to provide for their families, but now they can do so in a way that allows them to provide for themselves by taking the time to understand their emotions and mental health.
These advancements are very promising, and show that humanity is developing along a more holistic path. While women are now comfortable working for and providing for their families – a job that was traditionally considered male – men are now comfortable learning to empathize and care for themselves, a job that was once considered female.
The dissolution of gender roles suggests that humanity is learning to understand and appreciate itself more.