FEAR AND THE MODERN MAN

We live in an exciting time.

For the first time in history the majority of us, in the developed world, will never have to truly worry about where our next meal will come from. Or whether we will die suddenly from a minor injury or illness; or be attacked and killed by a wild animal.

Our industrialised world has created so much.

So many of us no longer have to face the primal and survival based fears described above.

We are for the most part, safe from physical threat.

But as we and our world have evolved and developed, so has our fear.

And there is actually a lot of irony in this.

Because most men actually fear the exact qualities that helped to develop and evolve our society.

The thing many men fear the most, whether they are conscious of it or not, is their innate power.

Their power, direction, ambition, heathy aggression and competition, their masculine knowing and intuition.
And their desire to provide, protect and procreate, aka their sexual desire.

So many men live In fear and disconnection from those innate parts of themselves.

I know that I did for a long time.

I felt conflicted when I saw subtle and overt messages that these aspects of myself where not to be trusted. Were ‘less evolved’ and traits of ‘toxic masculinity’.

Aspects that are crucial parts of me.

Vital to my wellbeing, fulfilment and self connection as human, and as a man.

There is a reason suicide rates for men are as high as they are.

When men from a young age are being taught to distrust innate parts of themselves…

Fear, shame and guilt will form.

And disconnection, isolation and suicide will follow.

Again this is not a post of hopelessness.

This is a post of awareness.

It is time for a revolution of masculinity and how we relate to it.

It is time to re-encourage traits of masculinity within men and boys.