A social stigma exists which paints a negative picture of men being emotional.
Society over time has established a potentially damaging view that women are supposed to be emotional while their male counterparts are supposed to be cold husks of human beings that do not show emotion. This is an archaic view of society and should be left in the past.
Looking at things such as movies and sports, it’s easy to take on the assumption that men are tougher and do not show emotion. In most action movies, men are the macho hero protagonists. The sports world is dominated by big, athletic men who partake in grueling sports such as football, hockey and boxing. Showing these people acting emotionally can potentially hurt their image.
Emotions like anger are seen as a masculine emotion while crying is seen as feminine. It is more taboo to see a man cry than a woman. In reality, the entire emotional spectrum is experienced by everyone, whether they like to admit it or not. Men cry just as much as women, like women get angry just as much as men. It should be completely acceptable for anyone to cry. Emotions of all varieties are a part of human nature.
This view of men being emotionless and women being over-emotional is damaging to people, especially teenagers. Young boys are often taught to suppress emotion and think rationally. Thinking rationally is important in any situation, but bottling up emotions is a dangerous habit that can manifest itself in negative ways. Nobody should be made to feel ashamed for showing emotions.
Empathy is an important concept in an ever changing society that is becoming less social and less emotional.
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