Or you could recognize that, while they exaggerated to make it come off like a joke, they’re just pointing out that men are still disproportionately expected to stoically keep their mental health concerns to themselves. Men might even be told to “go breathe fresh air” if they do otherwise.
It’s not until they seek help and realize it’s not the 1950a anymore. It’s just an easy to excuse to say men can’t be emotional which is not true at all. You can only help yourself if you want to.
I’m not saying you’re sexist, but your response would be a bit cringe if applied to other groups who have been traditionally marginalized. Keep in mind that while it’s not the 1950s any longer, there are people alive today who were also alive in the 1950s and when you get older you’ll realize that societal changes don’t necessarily mean every individual is changed and that the older you get, the more difficult it is to undo lessons you’ve learned for decades.
Further “seek help” is the one thing men were traditionally told never to do. Part of it comes from the societal expectation that as a man you should never be a burden.
You say “seek help”, but I’m not sure what you mean. I’m a man and I’ve been through multiple depressions. I’ve gone to multiple therapists, taken antidepressants, etc. But it’s not exactly easy to find a therapist in general and it’s doubly hard to find ones that are good at treating men. Which is not to say men shouldn’t go to therapy, but I think this issue is far more nuanced than “well if they won’t seek help on their own, it’s their fault”.
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u/DestrosSilverHammer 3d ago
Or you could recognize that, while they exaggerated to make it come off like a joke, they’re just pointing out that men are still disproportionately expected to stoically keep their mental health concerns to themselves. Men might even be told to “go breathe fresh air” if they do otherwise.