Real Men Are Always

Stephen Arterburn

The masculine stereotype demands that men are healthy, strong, and self-sufficient. Admissions of weakness are seen as contradictions of manliness. Yet listen to these findings by Dr. David Forrester: ·         By age six, boys perceive themselves less vulnerable to illness and injury than girls.·         Men experience more accidental injuries and coronary artery disease than women.·         Men die more frequently than women from an array of respiratory illnesses.·         A higher proportion of men suffer from physical limitations due to chronic conditions.·         Men engage in more physical activities characterized by risk, aggression, and violence than do women.·         The average women will outlive the average man by seven to eight years.·         And yet, men see physicians less often, take fewer days off from work, and spend less time convalescing in bed than women! Men are expected to be rough-and-tumble, which exposes them to heightened potential for illness and injury. The expectation to be competitive and self-reliant discourages any admission of weakness or incapacitation. Therefore, countless men everyday deny their ailments, ignore medical care, and disregard time they need to recover from sickness and injury.  Men, part of coming to terms with what it means to be a man requires coming to terms with your physical limitations and weaknesses. The myth that men are physically invulnerable is dangerous. Have you bought into this masculine stereotype?