The very qualities that many men are taught to hide, e.g. emotional openness and sensitivity, are essential for survival and wellbeing. Rather than being inherently too aggressive, men are often programmed to channel their pain through destructive means. This can manifest as violence, addiction, isolation, or uncontrollable rage, as these become the only acceptable outlets for emotional distress. When these destructive avenues fail to provide relief, men may turn inward, imploding rather than expressing what they feel.

Tragically, this cycle of suppression and destructive expression has serious consequences. Many lives might have been saved if men had felt able to acknowledge and process their pain. If only they had paused to feel rather than ignore, cried rather than concealed their emotions, spoken out instead of self-destructing, or reached out for support before giving up entirely. The ongoing internal battle cannot be won through silence; it requires courageous honesty, shared at the right moment with the right person.

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