Psychology Today: Masculinity is not the problem.

LJ-90 · 2020-10-25T21:50:09+00:00

As a therapist, it can be...complicated, when a man enters the office. I mostly work in a non profit, and we see a range of issues, but something I find is that when a lot of men come to the first interview, they are quick to point out that they are only there because mom, wife, daughter or someone else, wants them there. They do not need it, they are good on their own, but they are doing it as a sign that they care about this other person in their life. Framing it as a sacrifice they are making to the betterment of their house life.

After that, usually is a "oh okay, what you say makes sense, so I'm open to keep coming here, as long as I feel is useful for making me a better husband/partner/father/Etc". While I'm not saying that being a good father or husband isn't important, men that want treatment with the idea of "I need help" are rare, like, their own mental health is not that important, it's more important that they are fulfilling certain roles sucessfully. The idea that men should be able to deal with everything on their own is very deep inside us, I feel.

smeltaway · 2020-10-25T19:17:30+00:00

Quick summary. I've changed verbiage from the article to make it more succinct but I believe this accurately reflects the content:

Traits that are typically thought of as masculine--strength, personal power (not domination), ambition, grit and fortitude are positive for men and necessary if we are going to thrive in the world. (As I've some months ago, numerous studies show they are extremely good for you).

The men who cause damage are usually the ones who feel powerless (and, IMO, feel they have no outlet for this or hope of changing).

The solution is not to damn and condemn men for these traits. Masculinity can be "strength, purpose, honor, power, and compassion that culminates in the art of building a strong enough male self to be able to give [of] that self to others in love and marriage, in parenting and mentoring, in work and life."

buddhone · 2020-10-26T06:56:12+00:00

Strange to see Psychology Today adressing male problems like this. I have seen many articles from them pushing the classic feminist narratives, is this an editorial change?

We are probably heading towards a deep economic crisis in the west and I suspect this might be the end of these misandrist narratives, so I take articles like these as the first signs of it.

Title	Psychology Today: Masculinity is not the problem.
Author	smeltaway
Upvotes	83
Comments	37
Date	October 25, 2020 7:08 PM UTC (5 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/LeftWingMaleAdvocates
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/LeftWingMaleAdvocates/comments/jhz1rq/psychology_today_masculinity_is_not_the_problem/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/LeftWingMaleAdvocates/psychology-today-masculinity-is-not-the-problem.1062616 https://theredarchive.com/post/1062616

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