Women Share 44 Things About Men That They Previously Got Wrong About Them

In this day and age where most things are normalized, one would think that we are close to breaking free from the harmful stereotypes that restrict men and women every day. Unfortunately, we are still far from it, with gender roles still deeply rooted in our culture and reinforced by role models and the media.

Redditor Much_Description690 was especially interested in the things gals get wrong about guys, further feeding into false judgments that negatively affect them. To know more about them, they started a discussion online asking, “Women of Reddit, what lie did you believe to be true about men that you discovered was false?”

In response, many females shared misconceptions about males they thought were true for a long time but turned out to be a complete myth. Scroll down to find the most eye-opening and wholesome ones, which might change the way you see the masculine gender.

#1

Image credits: Moona_Death_Trap

#2

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#3

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After reading several entries (or from just being alive), it’s evident that men are seen in society as being the stronger, self-sufficient, tougher, and overall less emotional gender.

There’s even an existing construct that is called “Man Box,” which is essentially a list of behaviors that are traditionally expected from boys and men, like being dominant, resilient, and heterosexual.

In order to adhere to them, they are implicitly and explicitly discouraged from being emotional, vulnerable, or “girly” because such behaviors aren’t in the “Man Box” and therefore are unacceptable. And if you don’t fit in that box, you can’t be a “real” man, which might cause males to struggle to be accepted in society.

#4

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#5

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#6

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However, a bigger issue we should start addressing is what the future of masculinity looks like, further leading to the question of what kinds of men we want the little boys to become.

As Gary Barker, CEO of Equimundo Center for Masculinities and Social Justice, noted in Forbes, we have already started to rewrite a new world for girls, promising them strength and leadership, but we haven’t done this for boys. As a result, many men are confused about what modern manhood is about, which discourages them from finding this out.

Perhaps we need to stop seeing gender roles as a threat and instead focus on what is working and what no longer is. Some stereotypes can hold both men and women back and impact their mental health. The American Psychological Association has found that men who conform to the ideals of traditional masculinity are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases, engage in heavy drinking, and even commit suicide.

#7

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#8

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#9

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Barker added, “Most boys and men are aching not for things to stay the same, but for a new script. A script that includes being emotionally connected; being equal caregivers; supporting full equality in the workplace; supporting full equality for individuals of all sexual orientations and gender identities, and being able to ask for help when they need it.”

In reality, this is not a man’s or a woman’s issue; it’s everyone's, as equality benefits us all. It helps us to thrive, and it’s our responsibility to start that change and free our society from harmful stereotypes.