The measure of a man can be a tricky business. There are so many things that can make some of them feel emasculated that are really quite common, like making less money than their partners, feeling less buff at the gym, or not being the one to “wear the pants” in their relationship. Times are different than they were when those things were commonplace and not all men are quick to the draw when it comes to feeling emasculated because of the opposite sex, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other weird things that can give them the old punch to the fragile man’s ego.
- The strength of their urine stream Having a weak stream can sometimes mess with a guy’s head. It’s odd and I couldn’t possibly begin to understand why, but apparently a strong stream is a part of being a strong man. Who knew?
- The color of their lawn A lot of people pride themselves on homeownership. After all, in today’s real estate market, it’s one huge accomplishment to have a lawn of your own to water. The greener a man’s lawn is, the better he feels about himself and his own manhood. If his lawn starts to die, he could feel as though he has fallen to a huge failure. It’s weird, but it happens.
- When another man mows their lawn No man wants to come home to a job that has already been done unless they absolutely have to. You can call them lazy all you want, but men love getting things like this done. These little jobs like mowing the lawn or laying down sod give them the sense that they brought something to the table. When they have that taken away, their ego can be deflated.
- Their handyman skills Don’t ever tell a guy he can’t do something with some nails and a hammer. Or a drill. Or any other job that needs to be done with tools and a measuring tape. Sure, not all men are inclined to be some sort of Tim the Tool Man clone, but they don’t want it to be shoved in their face. Being able to know what tools are, what they do, and how to use them has been a huge ‘man’ thing for so long, the stereotype still lingers in today’s society of men.
- Facial hair growth Hair growth has been an issue for both men and women for as long as shaving was a thing. When it comes to guys, their personal preference doesn’t come into play much in the way they feel about how their hair grows. Some want a clean-shaven face while others want to grow a full beard, and if they happen to be on the opposite end of what they want, they’re not going to feel good about it. It’s a little weird, but it is what it is.
- Feeling anything It’s a tale as old as time. A lot of men have been told to man up since they were three years old and crying on the jungle gym after skinning their knees. Being told to shove down your feelings does something to a person and often when those men grow up, they are under the impression that having any feeling other than “I’m good” is somehow a weakness. Of course it’s not, but that old adage that men have to be tough all the time still sticks in some men.
- Having to “call a guy” Doing things around the house is not just a man’s job, and anyone with the willingness to learn can fix problems around the house, within reason. If a guy with a good knowledge of home repairs has to find a plumber in his area to diagnose a leaky faucet, he may start to feel like he’s failed as a man.
- Not being able to open the jar If you try to open a jar of pasta sauce while the two of you are cooking dinner together and fail, there’s a lot of his ego riding on whether or not he gets the jar open himself. This could apply to any number of things. If you can’t get a jammed door open or pick up an awkwardly shaped box, he is dead set on making sure that he gets the job done. If he doesn’t, that feeling of being ‘less than a man’ is not far behind. He wants to be able to hear ‘thank you,’ from the person he loves when he does something for you that you can’t do yourself.
