Women Reveal The Worst Thing About Being A Man

By Annie N. in Social Issues On 14th March 2022
advertisement

"Women of Reddit, what do you think would be the worst thing about being a man?"

Reddit

Your wallet's always a little bit lighter

"The constant pressure in society that the man has to pay for meals, drinks, etc. I feel like it all would add up really quickly."

Reddit
advertisement
Follow On Google News

Gotta be stone cold all the time

"Feeling uncomfortable or shamed for showing your emotions. It's a sad truth, but since the dawn of time, men have been encouraged to live up to the expectations of having to be tough or being a rock for the family. As a woman, I think we feel more comfortable crying and expressing our sadness. Men get sad too, and it's about time they feel free to express it as easily as women do."

Reddit
advertisement

You can never take a back seat

"Having to be the person physically in charge in a threatening situation. Like always being with a man when walking home from a party in a sketchy area at night. Yes there is safety in numbers but the dude is expected to be protective regardless of level of awareness, self defensive, or drunken-ness. That’s a lot of pressure."

Reddit
Follow On Twitter

Your dad role is always undermined

"Oh, you got stuck taking care of the kids today, huh? Giving Mom a day off, finally?"

Dads know what I'm talking about."

Reddit

Expectations for you to put yourself in dangerous situations

"People expecting that I could fight."

Reddit
advertisement

Stigmas that always keep you on edge

Not being able to take care of children without getting dirty looks.

 

Reddit

Even fathers can't escape it

"Probably the stigma. I've seen a single father get shouted at for being with his kid when at a park for 'trying to kidnap children'. The dude wanted to make his son happy, not molest him ffs."

Reddit

Always having to be strong

"I would not be allowed a moment of weakness. Bad day? You can't cry unless your mother just died. Hurt yourself? Suck it up and go to the hospital. Feeling self conscious about your body? Nobody cares. Feeling ill? SoMOne HaS a MaN COld!!!!!"

Reddit
advertisement

Doing more, even if it is unsafe

"Being expected to be more effective at physical labor, being expected to do more dangerous work, receiving less empathy when struggling with emotional issues."

Reddit

Defending yourself can be misconstrued.

"Being arrested for defending myself against an abusive partner."

Reddit

Never having a support network

"No one would bat an eye if you said you were sexual assaulted or harassed."

Reddit
advertisement

Getting a raw deal when it comes to work

"Honestly, probably people just assuming that you’ll do all of the gross shit that no one else wants to do.

Fixing up the car? Unclogging the toilet? Cleaning out the spider webs in the attic? Scrubbing the mildew out of the bathtub? Guys are just expected to do it all without complaint because that’s the “manly” thing to do. As a woman, I find it pretty unfair.

(Alongside that are hiding a boner, people assuming that you can’t have mental illnesses/disorders, not being allowed to cry/show emotions/be insecure about your body. All of it is really unfair, I’m sorry guys.)"

Reddit

Not having people to lean onto because everyone else is leaning on you

"Emotional unavailability of others.

As a woman, I definitely face a lot of hardships that men don't have to deal with. But when I'm at my point of breaking, sobbing and inconsolable, I know I can message one of my friends (usually one of the girls) and cry and bitch to them about it and they will listen to me and really connect with me. They will tell me how shitty the person who did that is, how difficult it must be to deal with, how strong I am for persevering in the face of adversity.

On the other hand, I've spent my life trying to be a non-judgmental source of venting for my male friends and I've found that basically everyone who I'm like that with ends up either thinking I'm into them romantically, or expressing how grateful they are for something they get so little of. Guys are told to just suck it up and push their emotions down, and I think it is harmful to all of us."

Reddit

Not being protected because you're expected to be a protector.

"My brother was allowed to do a lot of things I wasn't, like explore the train tunnels and go hunting. I once envied that, but now I see it differently: men aren't protected. From abusive women, from sexual assault, from dangerous jobs, from military service, from having custody of children taken from them, etc."

Reddit