Some may argue that it's a man's world, but that's not always the case. A recent online discussion tells us ten disadvantages of being a man today. Here are the top responses.
1. Can't Be Around Kids Without Raising Suspicions
“Once, I was asked by a kid at the mall to help him find his parents. He reached for my hand and held my finger as we wandered around, looking for his mom. Finally found her, and she said, ‘Get away from my son, you creep. I'm calling security.' I was so dumbfounded, baffled. I didn't even know what to say, and the kid was defending me like, ‘Mommy, he helped me find you,' and she completely ignored it.”
“So finally, I had to explain what happened to security because they tracked me down. I was 17 when this happened almost 15 years ago. Nowadays, I'd go about it differently. How exactly? I don't know, but I definitely would record the whole thing.”
2. Hair Issues
“Hair. Too much at the wrong places, too little in the right ones,” said a user. “Why does hair grow on the bum? Why? Why not somewhere else?” asked another. “My favorite online dating profile as of recent? Love a hairy chest, but please, no back hair,” said a third commenter.
3. Expected Not to Cry
“Sometimes I just want a hug and a cry, but get weird looks if I ask my friends,” a Redditor admitted. “I find myself shedding singular tears in movies because I'm so used to holding everything else in. Small things break me down,” another confessed.” Finally, the OP said, “There are certain songs that do it for me.”
4. Men Are Expected Always To Have It Together
“People expect you to pull it together in any situation,” noted one user. Another confessed,” Bro, a couple of weeks back, a client pulled out a knife on one of the social security workers (female) and locked the door to the meeting room.
At that time, I was the only male on the ground floor, and all the women yelled at me to step in and stop the knifeman. But I froze and did nothing. Luckily, the police arrived in under three minutes, and no one was hurt. I get why they turned to me for help, but I was just as clueless as them on handling the situation.”
5. Baldness
One person shared, “I was having this convo with my wife about this. I started going bald at 17, noticeable at 19, and a large bald spot at 23. It made my already present depression a hundred times worse. But as a man, you get told that's just how it is to learn to accept it. But women get help for it over here—for example, Subsidized wigs, transplants, and mental support.”
They elaborated, “I mean, look at what Will Smith did to Chris Rock after he made a single joke about female baldness… I have been at the center of more jokes than I can count, and when you tell someone to stop it and get angry over it, you once again get told to accept it.”
6. Domestic Violence Victims
“If you are a victim of domestic violence, people won't take it seriously. People don't think that women can be vicious,” said one commenter. Sadly, several others had stories like, “I went through this.”
“Male friends asked why I didn't defend myself. I didn't want my kids taken away mid-divorce. My family thought I was being dramatic. But, oddly enough, it was my female friends who provided the most support, and I'll always be grateful for that.”
7. Need for Physical Touch
“Lack of physical touch when single. I think the last proper hug I received was around six years ago,” one user admitted. Another stated, “That's why I always give hugs to my bros.”
“I recently got benefits at a new job, so I decided to get a massage. The masseuse was pretty shocked when I told them it was the first massage in my life. I was shocked when I started to cry uncontrollably. I recommend. It might not be a hug, but it will relieve all that nervous tension the world puts on your shoulders. I, too, haven't been hugged or felt affection in over ten years.”
8. Initiating Romance
“There is like societal pressure as a straight man to be the one who goes after a woman, and there is a lot of rejection that goes along with that,” one man said.
Another shared, “And beyond that, men need to pursue but not too much. Be macho yet in touch with a sensitive side. Always be up for adult relations at the drop of a hat, last forever, and be well endowed. Be a certain height and make enough to provide. It's socially acceptable to tear a man apart for these shortfalls.”
9. Expected To Do Heavy Lifting
One person confessed, “Being the sole man in the office, I'm expected to lift large objects while looking buff while having noodle arms. It's never mentioned that Angela regularly works out and can lift five times as much weight as I can.”
Another said, “One time at work, the lady manager shouted, ‘Who's gonna be a strong man and help me bring some heavy stuff off the shelves.' My coworker stuck out his chest and marched to the back room to show how manly he was. If you need something done, assign the task to someone, don't make it into a weird competition of manliness.”
10. Not Being Acknowledged as a Father
The top response is quite sad. A man replied, “Being considered a Creeper by society while just trying to raise my little girl. Single dad of a daughter. And a large guy. Hanging around playgrounds while she plays is a fun experience. Or Chuck-E-Cheese. The non-existent invitations to playgroups.”
“I have had the ‘Oh, giving mom a break?' Or ‘It must be dad's babysitting day!' Ugh. I'm a parent, not a babysitter. And frankly, with my wife's physical disabilities, I tend to do almost all the outings with the kids. So it's not a dad or mom thing. It's just a parent thing,” a second commenter shared.
A thread inspired this post.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.