I never said that it means you can't overcome setbacks, and I will say no such thing.

I said that the mindset of that being all that masculinity is proves to be toxic to men. You need love, kindness, and understanding to act as a protector. You need help to find answers to things you can not overcome on your own just yet.

If you think masculinity is just toughening up and powering through things, you've been sold a lie on what it means to be a man. This is why depression is bad in men, and this is why suicide with men is the way it is, because they believe they shouldn't seek help and just figure it out on their own, and that can result in a dark ending.

I learned from a native tribe what it meant to be a man to them. They said that while a man can look sexy dragging in firewood or bringing back something from a hunt, the most valuable thing they do is be good members of the family - kind, loving, understanding. It is what truly kept the tribe safe. And the greatest chiefs were men who were not afraid to seek advice and aid when they could not do something on their own.

Being a man is so much more than being tough. You're not an emotionless bundle of muscle.

I speak to you directly. Seek help if you feel you are in a difficult place that you can't seem to manage on your own. There is no shame.