Generally, women are taught that it’s okay to cry and express emotions, while men are expected to remain stoic and calm at all times. At the same time, vulnerability is seen as an indication that a man is “not really a man,” and he’s at risk of ridicule, judgment, and rejection from other men and women. Going to the doctor is sometimes felt as an open display of vulnerability by men in our society. By growing up with the idea that showing any form of weakness is inherently bad, men learn to ignore their health for the sake of remaining “manly.”

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