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Even though we didn’t do it to them, we didn’t cause it, we didn’t perpetuate it, it might still be the duty of women to soften men who’ve been victims of toxic masculinity and a machismo culture all of their lives. What I mean is that, when a man loves a woman, that woman has a lot of power to finally make that man feel safe being emotionally open, and being gentle to a degree he may not have felt safe being around his toxic male culture in the past. We all know that men are hard on each other. Funny enough, all of them secretly don’t want it that way. They don’t want to call each other p*ssies for not taking 10 jager bomb shots. They don’t want to act like all they care about is one-night stands. But somewhere, somehow, somebody perpetuated the idea that that’s what it means to be a “Man” and all men are trapped playing up to this illusion that they’re like that when they’re…not. So, if you do love a man who loves you, and he is starting to open up, just know that these things women say to men can make them close right back up.
I don’t need your help
If there’s one way traditionally closed-off men are comfortable handling emotions, it’s through helping their partners through difficult times. In fact, if you’ve been in several long-term relationships, you’ve probably found that, after you let your partner help you through emotional turmoil a few times, he eventually turned to you for such help. So when you tell him you don’t need his help when you’re upset, you shut him down to the entire concept of going to each other for emotional support. Even if you don’t need his help, take it. It’s good for both of you.
