Appearing weak can be a very frightening thing for a man to experience in our culture.
We are often taught to believe that women do not want to be in relationships with men whom they perceive as weak. We know from experience that men will bully other men whom they (insecurely) judge as weak. It is no wonder that a man will do almost anything to avoid asking for directions.
If a woman feels stress or pain, she will seek out others for help or a listening ear. A man will frequently keep his stress or pain to himself, as a rugged individualist, finding a way to numb out the pain. If a woman feels sick, she will seek a healer or a solution to regain her health. A man will sometimes not seek out help until his arm is nearly cut off and dangling by a tendon, or his spouse delivers him an ultimatum to get help for his ailment or depression, or they will leave him.
At this point, a man will understand that the cost of getting help or appearing weak is much less than he can lose from a divorce. The loss the relationships with his spouse, children, friends, and family is much more costly than taking the chance to get some help.
I am just as guilty as any other man when seeking help in times of crisis. Eleven years ago, I had a day when my fear of seeking help nearly killed me. I was traveling on a business trip to a reception celebrating agriculture in America.
I started feeling like I was coming down with the flu; as my wife and daughter were recovering, this made sense. After the reception, I drove three hours to a major client event that I was leading. I kept feeling worse, yet I thought I could push through, then get home and go to bed and recover. As the two-day conference proceeded and I filled my role as the master of ceremonies, my condition continued to deteriorate. After the meeting, I drove myself four hours across the state to my home.
Arriving, I went straight to bed, thinking that if I could get some sleep, I would recover from “the flu.”
By the next morning, I was throwing up, and I finally gave in to my wife’s insistence that she take me to the emergency room at the Mayo Clinic. Within an hour, I was in surgery with a ruptured appendix. After eighteen days in the hospital, I returned home, still a sick man. The doctors told my wife that if she had not brought me into the clinic, I would have been dead within two hours.
My fear of appearing weak nearly killed me that day.
I have suggested that “if I am going to pay the tuition, I had better go to class.” If I am going to experience the pain, I had better learn something from the event. I humbly share this story to illustrate how far a man will go to avoid appearing weak to his family, work colleagues, clients, and community. I realize now that I must take the chance of appearing weak or vulnerable to thrive within this life by asking for help.
The cost of not asking can threaten one’s life and valued relationships. It is during times of pain and struggle that men can become empowered by asking for help. Please, never give up on yourself; you are worth it!
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This post is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: Shutterstock
Thanks for posting this fine article. As a man I know well the experience you’re describing. We need more articles like these to let guys know its OK to feel pain, feel vulnerable, be weak at times. That’s true strength. It also takes a lot of courage to be vulnerable and share your story.
The cost of not asking for help is far greater than the fear of vulnerability!