Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,047,835 times
Reputation: 11862
Advertisements
I notice that displays of affection between males - both physical and verbal - seem to be viewed with suspicion in Northern European, North American and Australian society and culture. This includes frequently hugging one's male friends, kissing on the cheek when greeting, holding hands, any kind of unnecessary physical contact (stroking one's hair, for instance) while the same is tolerated among women. In terms of verbal affection, express platonic love, or sometimes even sharing feelings seems to make the modern Western man somewhat uncomfortable. In other cultures, say Middle Eastern, India or Southeast Asian, such behaviour is commonly observed, although may be declining due to globalization.
Do you think the world would be a better place if men were more open with each other? Might there be less aggression (probably not, going by the Mid-Eastern example)? Is it healthy for men to express these feelings towards their male friends and peers? Do you think these inhibitions sometimes stunt relationships between men? Perhaps, if they're more accepted, they won't be as associated with anything sexual.
We all are raised with different customs. Oftentimes we continue these customs because they make us comfortable...and they make us comfortable because we were raised with such customs...so we continue these customs so they make us comfortable...and so on.
Mexican citizens and U.S. citizens have different distances between themselves and others, that they are comfortable having between themselves and others. Mexicans usually want to be much closer to people they are speaking to than U.S. citizens do. Therefore, during a conversation between two people, one of each of these nationalities, it may appear that the Mexican is chasing the citizen of the United States accross the room. The citizen of the U.S. will keep moving backwards, and the Mexican will keep moving forwards. It's kind of funny.
Why change the touching/physical/movement/spacing related traditions? That could very well just make everyone more uncomfortable.
For some reason male bonding is associated with homosexuality...which is somewhat bizarre and insane and probably a damaging concept for society. This association needs to be deleted immediately. It's a pop-culture-driven witch hunt, probably initiated by stupid people with no lives, or people who write magazines for stupid people with no lives. It doesn't make any sense...and it isn't even relevant 99.9999999% of the time.
...but some men are too competitive, or afraid of change, or afraid of losing face, or afraid of doctors, etc.
I know a fifty year old idiot with an art degree, a bachelor's degree, in painting, who doesn't paint. He's an idiot.
A lot of the time, women are becomming smarter than men. They are using more of their available resources...looks...networking...marying for money...brown nosing...planning ahead...and a willingness to ask for help. Some other posters talked about women being "daddied" by male employers and not deserving their pay. That doesn't sound so much like an un-earned benefit, so much as a skill that deserves a reward to me.
Another thing that is highly honorable and more commonly encouraged for men than women to maintain is chivalrousness and an unemotional acceptance of things that may be unpleasant. Ideally this sticks around for eternity.
If anything negative would've been said about women...they would've probably ganged up and attacked me.
Maybe in your view, men should have deep emotion and mostly hide their moods and sadness. But the world becomes more and more open, men can also express their emotions between each other to reduce their life pressure.
When it comes down to it I say "Whatever floats your boat". How you show your affection with someone is between you and that person ultimately. Speaking from me personally, being Hispanic and North African, I tend to be pretty physically affectionate but not overtly. I hug my male friends and relatives and with some members of my family we clutch hands and kiss each others fist when we greet each other.
Other than that, I personally don't stroke no guys hair, sit on his lap, rub their heads give them an ass massage. hahahhaa. I have my limits being physically affectionate.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
]
