The problem with “tough guys” is not their “thick hide”, “courage” for danger/confrontation nor their emotional “unaffectedness”. The problem lies in:

  1. their compulsion of using such stoic standards to measure whether another fellow human being (especially empaths who are lower in esteem) “has a spine”.

  2. their smartass assumption that decent people (non-bullies) who are stuck in vulnerable emotions (fears etc.) “deliberately chose” to be stuck in it. They have a “cheap talk” approach called “man up” but without the actual courage to walk in the shoes of the emotional sufferer before jumping the conclusion (assumption) that people are “unwilling” to take steps to overcome fears. This is putting others down (labelling others as “cowards”) to jack up their fragile bravado.

  3. their very sneaky tactic (easy way out) of flaunting their fake bravado and emotional “superiority” to suppress and camouflage their OWN fears.

When life hits tough guys at their most suppressed weakest spots, only will they realize their bragged “resilience” and “willpower” is but as strong as a paper knife. Unfortunately, until when they learn it the hard way, tough guys will forever be stuck in their own “tough guy” delusion.