To continue in honor of Men’s Health Week, here is an article written by my friend and colleague, Marcus Osborne. Marcus is a smart, handsome, 40-something single guy whose mission in life is to help women better understand and appreciate men. If you want to date like a grownup girlfriend, learning about men is a must. And here’s my theory: once you do, you can’t help but love them! Thanks, Marcus!
One of the fabrications in our culture that has always driven me bonkers is the myth that “real” men don’t succumb to worry or stress. People think that guys are somehow genetically engineered to shake off the rigors of everyday life: that no guy should crack under pressure, fear or insecurity.
Never let ‘em see you sweat.
We guys wish it were that easy. From an intellectual perspective, we all agree that this belief is silly. Unfortunately, the gut reaction to actually witnessing a man’s will being broken is generally something less than empathetic. So once and for all, men DO have their own insecurities – just as many as women – and I’ve listed below a few of the most common concerns that men feel.
What Men Worry About
1. Making enough money. This one has mass awareness. But the depth of the anguish men feel when confronted with the possibility of not being an adequate breadwinner can be unimaginable. We’ve all heard the stories about what many have resorted to when money problems become overwhelming. And yet most peoples’ reactions are less than understanding: “It couldn’t have been that bad.” Apparently, it was.
2. Age. You think men age gracefully. We don’t. Actually, for all the jokes and mythology about women getting older (i.e., never asking them their age, facelifts, mom jeans, soccer mom hair, etc.), women actually seem to handle the transition overall a bit better than men. And, of course, they seem to embrace their sexuality as the years tick by. For men, a mid-life crisis is no joke! Men can feel frantic: trying to locate that lost hairline, chasing the younger women, experiencing a dwindling sex drive, and becoming physically vulnerable to younger, stronger guys.
3. Body Image. Seems shallow, and of course, it is. But this is America…we’re ALL about shallowness! Sure, the typical belief is that because of a bombardment of media images and our society’s focus on physical beauty in women, guys are immune to the insecurities that accompany a negative body image. WRONG. We hide it, but we’re just as wrapped up in looking great in beachwear. And it’s not just the ladies who are checking out the competition on the beach and at parties. Guys do it too.
4. Intelligence. The only thing guys respect more than money is intelligence. More to the point, a man would rather be poor as dirt than have the perception engrained in people’s minds that he’s an idiot. The guys who have it the worst? Jocks. Those dudes are fighting a lifelong battle, attempting to prove that the sum of their parts is more than how fast they run or high they jump. (But of course….some of ‘em are actually idiots. But I digress.)
Intelligence, in spite of the conclusions you may have drawn from reality television, is a highly valued commodity in our society. Guys want to be highly valued in our society. High value equals respect. Respect equals power. And we love power.
Now in the grand scheme of things, these can all seem like fairly harmless issues. But I promise you that these are things about which men are concerned. I’d suggest you talk to your guy and reassure him that you’ve got his back; you’re there and willing to listen to whatever is on his mind.
Being a guy, he may simply fire back that everything is fine – even when everything isn’t fine. He’s keeping it to himself because he doesn’t want to seem in any way weak in your eyes. That’s yet another concern of his: being strong for his partner. But he’ll certainly appreciate your affirmation of support and may even eventually take you up on your offer of a supportive ear.
(This article was originally published on Galtime.com. If you haven’t yet visited, I highly recommend it. They have some highly valuable and some highly amusing articles. In fact, I’ve contributed many articles to Galtime!)
Hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, veteran media professional and author of “Your Straight Male Friend..Every Woman Should Have One,” Marcus Osborne has honed his talent and keen ability to convey to women the inner workings of the male mind via regular forays into the “friendzone.” Check out more from Marcus at StraightMaleFriend.com or on Twitter at @SMFMarcus.
Image credit http://tshirtsuperstar.com
Marcus, Thank you for your honesty. It is refreshing to hear what a man thinks, that doesn’t follow all the cultural niceties.
NelleG