“With great power comes great responsibility.”
That’s what Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben told him, anyway. It’s true, and for us men it’s both a blessing and a curse. We are bigger, faster, and stronger, so we’ve been relied on to provide and protect.
It’s an important job, but a thankless one. The future of the human race depends on our ability to procreate. Pregnant women are fragile, and what they carry in their womb usually ends up being our greatest achievement. Since men cannot get pregnant, we’ll always be the default provider and protector. We do the dangerous jobs, and we suffer the consequences.
The facts don’t lie. In America, men live an average of six years less than women. Men are also ten times more likely to be killed on the job than women. Globally, men account for nearly 79% of all homicides, while women are about 23%. The weight of the world on our shoulders, men also commit suicide 3.9 times more than women… ouch. Even if we survive, we face a court system that seems slanted against us. Men are over 8 times more likely than women to be incarcerated in prison at least once during their lifetime.
So, we’ve got to accept the fact that men are not privileged. No matter what the media tells you, it’s not easy being a man.
We are lonely.
We are unable to speak our emotions for fear of being judged as weak.
We suffer in silence, sometimes unable to escape the darkness.
We turn to toxic vices to cope.
We take dangerous jobs so we can provide.
We are overwhelmingly victims of violent crimes.
We are up against a court system increasingly biased against us.
But society doesn’t care.
Society preaches that “the future is female”.
It minimizes our struggles, and pressures us to abandon our natural masculine tendencies.
It labels us. Taunts us. Uses and abuses us.
Sometimes it feels like there is no path forward.
Life is easier when experienced men show us the way.
Sadly, we don’t all have strong fathers, uncles and brothers to help guide us.
This is why it’s important to find your tribe.
Someone to listen.
Someone to advise you.
Someone to coach you.
Someone to hear you.
You are not alone.
Join a community. Find like minded men. Open your mind.
Experience brotherhood.
Learn from those that came before you.
Find your purpose and then blaze your trail.
Cement your legacy.
The world needs strong men.
-Your Big Bro
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