Is ‘masculinity’ behind male loneliness and substance use disorders?

captainhornheart · 2025-01-03T18:26:49+00:00

Would they blame 'femininity' for the rise in mental health problems among girls?

It really is strange how masculinity is treated as some kind of optional, artificial and often harmful construct that men can pick and choose their flavour of, while feminity is seen as natural, positive and essential. It's like we're watching a threat narrative being created in real time.

someguynamedcole · 2025-01-03T20:40:27+00:00

If masculinity is to blame for male loneliness then why were men more socially connected up until the late 20th century?

Karmaze · 2025-01-03T20:20:55+00:00

Does this feel like to anybody else like they are trying to blame out-group stuff for in-group things? This guy doesn't strike me as obviously traditionally masculine. The issues he's had with his abuse and how his culture prevents him from talking about it lest he's seen as misogynistic probably plays a huge part of the problem.

And my understanding is that there's this huge donut hole in government funding between competitive athletics and DEI initiatives that leave many men without programs that could provide much needed social support. At least in Canada (and this is a Canadian article)

And I'll say it again. The idea that men have to lose their community ties once they get in a relationship is a big block to ever forming them in the first place.

Clockw0rk · 2025-01-04T03:07:53+00:00

The answer, of course is, is no. The mention of "the patriarchy" unironically and half-way through the article of a single, feminist ally male being interviewed, should tell you all you need to know about the bias of this garbage "journalism".

What is "Masculinity"? You may think that it's a bold, complex, enduring question that has puzzled philosophers and psychologists since the dawn of time, right?

What if I told you... that Masculinity isn't real?

You see, while both conservative thinkers and the feminist fuckwits who have supplanted any trace of progressive thinkers on the subject of sex and gender in the West, both seem to miss the pretty obvious evidence of what Masculinity, AND Femininity, truly are.

They're gender roles, stupids.

Which means, if you know anything about the science of gender... They're a social construct.

And while Feminists are keen to demand that women aren't beholden to gender roles, traditional or otherwise, they're all too happy to contribute to the discussion of how to define gender roles for men, and surprise surprise.. their only contribution to the conversation is how Toxic they percieve "masculinity" to be.

Women benefit enormously as a collective, from the frequent sacrifices of wealth and health that are made to appease the best interests of women over men when males are give chase and play games to win a woman's affection. It's no wonder why they wouldn't want to supress all the parts they percieve to be as undesirable and wicked, while excusing every last instance of similar behavior that comes from women. Toxicity isn't gendered.

So hey, Feminists. Let's make a deal. We'll agree to go in with you on destroying this invisible boogey man with no real name or evidence to indicate any one person of a specific crime... And you agree to properly categorize masculinity as a social construct, and stop holding men to near impossible standards of judging their value on how well they serve women. And try to retire some of that inheiretly bigoted language that condemns men as malevolent, inevitable-preditors that are constantly scheming to fuck women and children without consent. It's literally Nazi shit when you start openly spreading lies about a group of people designated by their birth characteristics in effort to stir up hate against them.

Fair?

jessi387 · 2025-01-03T20:52:10+00:00

We live in a much less masculine time , and yet these problems are much more prolific ….

Livid-Pen-8372 · 2025-01-03T21:13:50+00:00

Masculinity is whatever you want it to be

Socalgardenerinneed · 2025-01-03T22:36:41+00:00

I don't buy into everything about toxic masculinity, but I do think it a real thing that shows up in a lot of places.

One of those places is how men are treated by progressives and SJWs as if they so much agency that they are in total and complete control of their lives and ultimately are responsible for all the bad things that happen around them. It's as if systems thinking disappears as a concept once men are the victims of the system.

MedBayMan2 · 2025-01-03T23:36:03+00:00

No, modern society and its sickening trends are, combined with the corroding system that’s devouring its working class

Revolutionary-Focus7 · 2025-01-03T23:24:04+00:00

I mean, as a transsexual man who's been on both sides of the coin, I would agree that femininity is as enforced as masculinity, just in different ways. Tomboys are only tolerated because they're expected to grow out of it and become more feminine with age, and I spent a good chunk of my teen years feeling like I was "failing" at womanhood because I didn't like being feminine and was never any good when I tried. Coming out and transitioning to male is seen as traitorous towards women and the efforts of feminism, and I feel a lot of guilt about it, especially considering how hard the women in my family worked to make it when the average workplace was still a boy's club.

But now, I find masculinity is a whole different beast entirely. Any deviance from what's perceived as the norm for "masculinity" is penalized even harsher, and I feel like if I don't keep up with those standards, it'll be seen as "proof" that the "gender socialization" narrative about transsexuals is true. Personally, I find many expectations of Western (specifically American) masculinity and Bro Culture to be distasteful and deeply anti-intellectual; I don't like fighting, violence or confrontation, I'm not interested in flexing my ego or accumulating wealth, and I hate just how emotionless and frigid male friendships are expected to be because of homophobia.

Like it's no wonder so many men are lonely, they're expected to keep their closest male friends at arm's length in order to avoid being "gay", treat women as trophies of sexual conquest rather than as platonic company, and focus on being a "provider" to their family rather than a father, lover or friend. All while being forced to choose from a list of pre-packaged and arbitrary rituals, lifestyle choices and hobbies in order to be perceived as "man enough", lest they become ostracized for "emasculating" themselves.

Also, I've noticed that both masculinity and femininity are becoming increasingly scrutinized and more aggressively enforced as the right-wing backlash against social progress continues to gain traction.

1234villain12 · 2025-01-04T06:32:39+00:00

If anything I need to be more masculine in a healthy way though

Stellakinetic · 2025-01-05T03:41:08+00:00

I’d say women probably have a part to play in male loneliness and substance use disorders

MaximumTangerine5662 · 2025-01-05T02:54:53+00:00

Gambling is a big lead into substance use and no one has made gambling illegal yet in the country I live despite them having all the reason to, and the fact my own dad became addicted to it. It splits apart families by targeting guys unfairly, and tries to promote a riskless activity when in return it's another cash-grab if a guy didn't loose his money to a girlfriend.

Being masculine or not, Gambling is a huge problem in our society, and is responsible for a lot of substance abuse disorders. They may try to promise masculinity but society cannot get behind how to dismantle it because they do not allow forms of masculinity or interests in it. Like something for only guys is called sexist but women will have women only spaces, so it can be hard to find other places the endorse male on male friendships or communication.

Confident-Cod6221 · 2025-01-04T01:32:39+00:00

i think they meant gender norms

Sensitive_Housing_85 · 2025-01-05T10:17:32+00:00

it can't be because then it wouldn't be affecting women at equal rate, and they wouldn't be complaining that everyone is focusing on men when it comes to the loneliness crisis

Adventurous_Design73 · 2025-01-06T18:07:37+00:00

*removes male spaces, isolate them, demonize them and remove fathers from their lives* oh the cause of this is masculinity!

Title	Is ‘masculinity’ behind male loneliness and substance use disorders?
Author	FewVoice1280
Upvotes	65
Comments	28
Date	January 3, 2025 10:53 AM UTC (1 year ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/LeftWingMaleAdvocates
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/LeftWingMaleAdvocates/comments/1hsjwqf/is_masculinity_behind_male_loneliness_and/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/LeftWingMaleAdvocates/is-masculinity-behind-male-loneliness-and.1540267 https://theredarchive.com/post/1540267

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