I've had a few friends like this, and I think it's a common issue.

These are men who were raised to have no feelings. Or perhaps a very limited number of feelings - anger and happiness. I don't think they were intentionally raised this way - their parents didn't say "I want my son to have no feelings". I think it was subconscious thing, or perhaps an auto-pilot way of rearing boys.

So what are these guys like?

Typically they will never have been in love. They can date a girl for a few years, feel nothing, and when they eventually break up, it means nothing to them.

They use people. Their friends are temporary. Someone who will go drinking with them. Someone who will go to the cinema with them. But these "friends" are replaceable. There is no love or care in the friendship. Often these guys don't have many old or close friends.

They fake their feelings. They know they're supposed to act a certain way when x or y happens, so they act, making it seem like they're reacting appropriately.

On the one hand, these people are toxic. When I learn one of my male friends are like this, I distance myself from them, as I know they don't care about me. My friendship with them is transactional.

But on the other hand, it's tragic. No one choose to be emotionless. It's unlikely these guys want to be like this. Maybe they don't even realise they have a problem, or maybe they do realise, but they don't know what to do. So they continue faking being a fully grown human.

Can any of your relate to this?

Have any of you thought about this before?