Blog 1: Feelings Equal Repercussions

In a world where emotional vulnerability is often associated with weakness, men must navigate a maze of societal expectations and learn how to truly be themselves. From an early age, boys are taught to suppress their emotions, to put on a front and be strong, hiding the complexities of their inner world behind a mask of toughness and an emotionless person. This essay digs into men’s emotional experiences, shedding light on the societal pressures that make them hide their feelings and deny aspects of themselves as “feminine.” 

The suppression of emotions among men is something that is deeply engraved in our society, it has become a cultural norm. Expressing any form of sensitivity or vulnerability is something more often than not associated with women which is then interpreted as a sign of weakness because today people believe ‘women are weak.’ This leads men to adopt a persona that could resemble someone who is heartless or invulnerable which makes them fit in with societal norms. By doing so they are hiding their true emotions and their true selves, which could be detrimental to their mental health in the long term. When men wear this mask, it is like a shield, shielding them from potentially being judged and shamed by society. This way of thinking stems from when these men are just boys, at a youthful age they are taught what they should and should not do. In the book Man Up by Carlos André Gomez the main character is a young boy and in one of the chapters, he wants to paint his nails as his sister does, his mother advises him not to, yet he goes along with it anyways and gets beat up by a group of boys he then says “What did I do that was so wrong” (Pg 66 of Man up). This book truly highlights what a child goes through when discovering how cruel the world is. We are all born with innocent minds but the world around us is what shapes who we become and the society we live in today is turning men into fearful people who are not always accepted. 

Moreover, the repression of so-called “feminine” emotions further highlights this internal conflict men might have with themselves. Society’s narrow definition of masculinity often excludes qualities like sensitivity, compassion, and vulnerability, often labeled as feminine. Consequently, men are conditioned to reject these aspects of themselves, viewing them as weaknesses rather than strengths. In doing so, they deny themselves the opportunity for authentic self-expression and genuine connection. In the book Man Up you can clearly tell that he is hiding his identity which can really damage someone’s mind, he is constantly worried about what his father will think or what his friends will think and i believe that as a society we should work to make it easier for people to open up and to be themselves. 

Being unable to show a feminine side is only one part of how much goes through a man’s mind. In comparison to Gomez’s story, the movie Invincible by Vincent-René-Lortie, both boys are trapped, while Carlos is mentally unable to express himself the way he wishes he could Marc is physically trapped in an institution. These two boys are living two quite different lives, they both feel the same frustration and loneliness of not being free. In the short film it is clear to us that Marc is not like the other kids in the institution and they portray that by reading his poem aloud Infront of the class. He wants to be free, and he wants to be able to be with his family and the burden of it all was too much for him to handle, which is why he decides to take his own life at the end of the short story. 

These two characters deal with huge emotions, but the result is different. This shows us that everyone is different, and your surroundings can significantly impact how your life goes and what path you take. As a society we need to see the signs of someone struggling and we need to make sure people feel at ease speaking up and never bottling their emotions in because it could end with them battling themselves.