Okay? And women can? Without being shut down? Women have literally been stereotyped as emotional in a negative sense to the point that it results in discrimination. People in 2024 were still saying a woman can’t be prez of the US bc they’re “too emotional.” Like it’s valid that you’re upset about it, but this isn’t a men-only issue where women are the perpetrators and men are the victims. This isn’t a way “women oppress men” (I have actually seen that commented on this site before). It’s a societal issue that needs to be addressed for the good of all.
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Anger is an emotion. They are fine showing that.
Let’s face it, gals, we’ve all been there, feeling like we gotta bottle up our emotions because society expects us to. But hey, guess what? It’s freaking exhausting!
Might be true, but often the people ridiculing and shutting men down for expressing emotion, are other men. So they might want to do some house cleaning.
Sure they can. Anger, frustration, contempt, happiness, etc, are all perfectly fine
By emotion, they mean… Normal empathy capacity.
> People in 2024 were still saying a woman can’t be prez of the US bc they’re “too emotional.”
The fact that there are people who would unironically say that while also voting for Trump, who has the emotional control of a toddler with a congenital rage disorder, is clear evidence of rampant sexism.
The only emotion men who say that are talking about is anger. They want free rein to express their anger as loudly and violently as they want and expect women to take it.
Also, you know who criticizes men for showing emotions? Other men.
“Smile, it can’t be that bad!”
Like not only can I not show emotion, I’m not allowed to show non-emotion. A blank expression is not allowed. I should look pretty and approachable at all times, just in case a man wants to look.
Well fuck that.
Exactly. Women are constantly mocked and criticised and shut down for showing emotion, whether that’s crying, speaking passionately, or giggling with excitement. Men are sometimes mocked, but mostly embraced for it and encouraged and coddled during emotional outbursts as though they’re toddlers having their first tantrum, especially by women. The idea that “women are allowed to show emotions” just reveals, again, how little men notice about us and how little time they actually spend with us. They are the ones mocking and degrading us for our emotions 24/7 and calling it normal, but they want better than equality with us, they want special treatment.
And conveniently they don’t mention that a lot of ridicule and/or shutting down is… done by other men.
it makes me so mad when people say that because women can’t even express being upset about actual trauma like rape without people acting like you’re being extra about having human emotions
also anybody who has a father knows that the whole 5 mile radius knows when a man is a little upset lmaaaoo whole fucking week ruined for everybody, and they always gotta do that shit on like Sunday afternoons
Recently my partner and I experienced something distressing and had to give a separate statement about what happened. No problem. However, I was offered support to talk to someone. He wasn’t.
I think expectations create reality, like I’m guessing my partner was factual and maybe didn’t let on how much of an impact it had but he said to me later that he would’ve liked to have been offered.
I agree with everything you said, though. I guess I’d like to see more men get the support they needed at younger ages to deal with their emotions openly and maturely. To give and receive support. Saying that, the responsibility for this would likely fall to the women in their lives, so….
Strict gender rules only give men and women really narrow bands of “acceptable emotional presentation”.
I can feel for guys who didn’t learn the skills to support themselves (and others) but I’ve been taught how to express anger, safely and constructively, while existing as a woman, in school and in seminars and in management books and relationship books my entire life. Everyone who taught me, knew I wasn’t going to be permitted to express anger or confidence the way men were. It wasn’t going to be accepted from me.
It’s not fair. I try not to perpetrate it against others, but it’s also not changing until you do the fucking work to learn how to express feelings without trauma dumping, and to express feelings without demanding/assuming others now need to placate you or manage those feelings for you.
Remember to say “by other men”. A lot of guys need to be reminded that violence can be inward as well as outward. And boy are a lot of us violent towards ourselves without knowing
Maybe if the emotions they were showing weren’t anger, hate, rage, and malice toward those who have done nothing wrong to them, they wouldn’t face criticism.
I think it’s a deeply ingrained, culturally reinforced standard that restricts everyone, just in different ways. Admittedly, women suffer a lot more due to overlapping deep-rooted sexism and gender roles.
I have heard this all too often from male friends and colleagues who complain they are told to suppress vulnerability in order to appear strong.
Similarly, women are frequently dismissed or penalized because of emotional expression, as though it disqualifies them from rational authority.
It’s two sides of the same coin unfortunately, both shaped by outdated notions.
>results in discrimination
Resulted in Lobotomies, resulted in being imprisoned, enslaved, or burned at the stake.
The term Hysteria. If you’re a man and truly, genuinely, think women are “allowed” to be emotional. I BEG you to learn about the history of Hysteria.
The old classics: “You should smile more.” “You’re being too sensitive.” “Why are you so emotional? Must be that time of the month.” “I was just joking.” “What’s wrong? You can talk to me.” (Talks about emotions and gets judged for being emotional).
Men: anger, rage, yelling, AHHHHHHHHH. (You do realize dude anger is an emotion).
Unpopular opinion but I think the real issue isn’t about men being repressed, it’s about how society weaponizes emotion as a tool to undermine anyone who doesn’t fit the mold, whether that’s women being called “emotional” or men being told they’re “too sensitive.” What if we stopped using emotion as a weakness and started seeing it as a strength in everyone, regardless of gender?