Think You Understand Men? Here Are 5 Masculinity Myths You’re Getting Wrong

Myths

James Brown may have sung, ‘It’s a man’s world,’ but let’s be real—being a man today is far from simple. It’s a layered experience that can sometimes feel like the emotional equivalent of a Linkin Park song: intense, complex, and fraught with highs and lows.

While society often downplays the challenges men face, the reality is that masculinity is misunderstood in countless ways. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s really like to walk in a man’s shoes—or combat boots, as it may be—stay with us.

Honest Facts About Masculinity Society Gets Wrong

Occasionally, when we’re manning a saw or lifting heavy weights, it will occur for a fleeting second—an ancestral feeling. For the most part, though, men go through their daily routines with zero thought given to whether an activity is masculine or not.

Men Don’t Consider Manhood All That Often

A bucket of masculinity, to some, warrants a hazardous material label. However, many men argue that masculinity is not intrinsically toxic. Toxic behavior is toxic, whether it comes from a man or a woman.

Masculinity Can Be Non-Toxic

The very concept of masculinity has caused men to feel inferior. Outsized caricatures of masculinity, from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Davey Crockett, set an unattainable bar for the modern man to live up to.

The Concept of Masculinity Can Be Emasculating

The Bible states, “Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers.” In addition, countless other parables, novels, films, and legends warn against holding one man accountable for another’s sins.

Every Man Is His Own

It might be our biological wiring, but most men view the world through the lens of “what can go wrong will go wrong.” We’re looking for potential escape routes, observing that guy standing over there acting sketchily and gaps in our homeowner’s insurance policy.

Men Are Constantly Assessing Threats

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