When men forget how to connect with each other, that’s sad.

When do many boys and men lose the ability to connect with one another?

From Ted L. in response to Take Away the Tears? A Cry For Male Companionship by Steve Hinkle:

I think some of the best moments I’ve had as a boy and now as a dad have been through connections with other males. I think boys are fine until they think each interaction with another boy is a competition. So it’s no longer enough to have laughs or enjoy a game; its a battle for who can one up the other. The problem is when you want to connect but the other guys have forgotten what that means. It’s sad.

The writer, Steve Hinkle, also includes this powerful quote:

“I’d bet any amount of money that you’ve never said to a boy, ‘If you have a big problem and admit you’re really upset and worried, I’ll be ashamed of you and you’ll grow up to be a poor excuse of a man.’ But somehow most boys have this message to some degree wired into their brains by the time they reach older childhood.”  Rosalind Wiseman, Masterminds & Wingmen