By Alia El Saady
Society’s hardwired us into setting certain expectations for women: child bearing, running the home and generally not having any career goals. But if you think about it, there are a lot of expectations imposed on men too. How many times have you seen people asking boys to “man up” or media campaigns telling them “Estargel”. And much like women, if they don’t adhere to that stereotype, they’re frowned upon. But men don’t have to conform to these stereotypes, especially since some of them are very unreasonable.
Crying
How many times have you seen a young boy being scolded for crying? Crying is a common reaction to certain situations, and it’s definitely nothing to scold anyone about. Reacting by crying is more of a personality trait rather than a female-centric practice. If a man cries, it doesn’t make him a girl. In fact, much like anger and a short-temper, crying is a way that people react to an occurrence. Some people shout and have a tantrum; other people cry and others hold it in and pretend that it doesn’t faze them. But not conveying your emotions or reacting in a particular way is a matter of preference, and is not and should never be an imposition.
Fashion and Beauty
Fashion is another thing that men are expected not to care about. If a man happens to care about fashion and beauty products, it’s seen as blasphemous in the world of men. As if women are the only people on the face of this planet who are concerned with fashion! Wanting to dress fashionably and taking care of yourself by using cosmetic products should not be seen as something exclusively limited to women. The world of fashion and beauty is welcoming to all genders, and we should keep it that way!
Not Asking for Help
Another consequence of the male stereotype is that men are told to do things on their own. And they’re urged not to ask for help. But the truth is, you can’t do everything on your own. It’s just not possible. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help; you don’t have to carry the burden of something just because you’ve been told to do so. The strong alpha male mentality is definitely not practical because no one can be adept at everything. Which is why you’re not only allowed to ask for help; you have to ask for it!
