Imagine a boy who was never taught anything about maths. He was never taught how to count, or how to add or subtract.
In case he wanted to learn maths by himself, he was told to stop by his parents and ridiculed by his peers (who were also never taught maths).
Even the most basic instincts about math were taken out of him with decades worth of ridicule and social pressure.
The boy is now all grown up. He has made something of himself despite never knowing anything about maths. Should we be blaming the boy, who is now an adult man, for not knowing maths?
No, right? His upbringing was not his fault or in his control. Why then do we blame boys and young men who struggle with emotionality?
We are told since childhood that we MUST NOT be emotional. It is something that is ingrained within us. It is an “emotional castration” as I saw a professor call it.
Overcoming decades of socialization takes time and a lot of effort. It is not something that can be overcome in days, weeks, or months.
Men’s mental health is not an individual’s issue or the issue of individual men, it is a social problem that requires social change.