Men, How Have Other Men Dismissed Your Feelings When You've Tried Being Vulnerable?

It can be difficult for men to talk about their emotions. Although completely normal and often healthy, it can be viewed as a weakness or seen as too feminine by men who might not be as in touch with their emotions and/or stuck in the cycle of toxic masculinity.

It’s important for men to feel comfortable being vulnerable too, so I’d like to know: Men, have you ever made yourself vulnerable to other men by spilling some sensitive emotions, only to be ignored or, perhaps worse, dismissed? Maybe you said something back in response? Or did you ignore being ignored? Did it create a rift in the friendship?

Maybe you were having a was a mental health emergency, but when you went to your own father about it, he told you, “Men don’t cry,” and you had to seek help elsewhere. And even worse, he teased you about going to friends or even seeking therapy.

Or maybe you had a close relative or friend pass away, but when you tried to open up to a male friend you’ve practically known since birth, he immediately changed the subject and brushed right past your feelings.

Perhaps you went through a really difficult breakup or divorce, and your best friend asked you why you weren’t over it yet…a literal week after it happened.

Or maybe you had a big win at work, and he didn’t have any inkling of joy to share with you. *Buzzkill.*