Do you think men are losing their masculinity?

How do you identify masculinity?


Traditional Standards Of Masculinity and Being a Man
  1. Being perceived as “weak” due to crying or showing fear.
  2. Emphasis on physical strength.
  3. Professional Success.
  4. Being the “breadwinner” of the family.
  5. Exerting dominance in relationships.
  6. Being assertive.
I think I lost mine about 30 years ago. :)
 
Brookswood said:
Only if they play the Nice Guy game and try too hard to win approval instead of being themselves.
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So you think being nice is a pretense? Being themselves meaning what? Strong, silent, dominant? Don't put us into a box! Shamefully, I have been doing this with women all of my life, by putting them on a pedestal for being the sweet, nourishing, gentle creatures many of them aren't! :)
 
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Maybe that would be a yes for the newer generations... I've seen changes. When it comes to the older generations (ages 40 and up) then I don't see any loss in masculinity at all... and sometimes just the opposite because older men remind people what true masculinity is.
 
CallMeKate said:
Maybe that would be a yes for the newer generations... I've seen changes. When it comes to the older generations (ages 40 and up) then I don't see any loss in masculinity at all... and sometimes just the opposite because older men remind people what true masculinity is.
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But there have always been various shades of masculinity throughout the ages! Those who had a "softer" side to them just managed to hide it from their brothers and the world in general! Couldn't have a man crying, after all!
 
Paco Dennis said:
How do you identify masculinity?


Traditional Standards Of Masculinity and Being a Man
  1. Being perceived as “weak” due to crying or showing fear.
  2. Emphasis on physical strength.
  3. Professional Success.
  4. Being the “breadwinner” of the family.
  5. Exerting dominance in relationships.
  6. Being assertive.
I think I lost mine about 30 years ago. :)
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These "standards" are culturally linked, ideas embedded in various societies. As this forum attracts English speakers then these concepts of masculinity are what "we" identify with, in our related cultures.
Can you imagine seeing men walking down the street in the U.S. holding hands? In Arab countries, North Africa, some parts of Asia and traditionally in some Mediterranean and Southern European cultures (especially in Sicily), males also hold hands for friendship and as a sign of respect.
 
Old Salt said:
But there have always been various shades of masculinity throughout the ages! Those who had a "softer" side to them just managed to hide it from their brothers and the world in general! Couldn't have a man crying, after all!
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For the record, my response had *nothing* to do with crying. That actually SHOWS masculinity when a man is confident enough to cry.
 
Old Salt said:
Talk about crying. Old age has unravelled my masculinity. I cry when I see a sleeping baby, I cry when I see a couple embracing, I have tears in my eyes every time I see obvious love and affection between people. An older couple still holding hands ... eyes start leaking!!
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Being a real man has nothing to do with whether or not he cries. @Old Salt
 
Nathan said:
These "standards" are culturally linked, ideas embedded in various societies. As this forum attracts English speakers then these concepts of masculinity are what "we" identify with, in our related cultures.
Can you imagine seeing men walking down the street in the U.S. holding hands? In Arab countries, North Africa, some parts of Asia and traditionally in some Mediterranean and Southern European cultures (especially in Sicily), males also hold hands for friendship and as a sign of respect.
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I caused moral outrage in our apartment building in N.S. by walking down the street, holding hands with a dear female friend of ours. I thought nothing of it but my neighbours either thought I was cheating on my wife, or that we were swingers! Next day I found a little note on our mailbox: Perverts!!!! :( So beware immigrants to North America! Holding hands with the opposite sex is not a casual thing here! And holding hands with another man is definitely "gay!"
 
Nathan said:
Can you imagine seeing men walking down the street in the U.S. holding hands? In Arab countries, North Africa, some parts of Asia and traditionally in some Mediterranean and Southern European cultures (especially in Sicily), males also hold hands for friendship and as a sign of respect.
Click to expand...

I remember being shocked by that when I lived overseas. Everyone was so prone to touching each other. I saw one guy pat another guy on the butt. And just in general people would put their hands on my arm or leg (if sitting) when talking to me. And at first I thought people were horribly rude on the sidewalk because they didn't make room for me when I was walking in the opposite direction and I'd get off into the road, but eventually I realized the expected behavior was to slide right through each other in spite of the touching, and even to briefly hold someone's shoulder while sliding through.

In my subculture men are supposed to be educated, kind, and community supportive. So I don't think they would be suffering from any current male identity crisis. I'm not sure what the news is talking about when they say young men are suffering a lot.
 

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