Advice on How to Support Men

(Transcribed from Episode 999 of Modern Wisdom by Chris Williamson)

Men want to aim high without feeling insufficient if they fall short.

Men want their suffering to be recognized and appreciated without being pandered to or patronized and made to feel weak.

Men want to believe they can be more, without feeling like they're not already enough.

Men want to be able to open up without being judged.

Men want support without feeling broken.

Men want to be loved for who they are, not for what they do.  So the TLDR (Too Long Didn’t Read) is blending inspiration with compassion is not an easy task you can even say blending aspiration with compassion is not an easy task.

So the question that every guy has asked themselves is, “How do I set lofty goals which drive me to fulfill my potential without feeling less than if I don't get there tomorrow?”  and the desire for self-love and high performance comes into conflict inside the mind of everyone… but men especially.

Sure, some men are all drive and goals with non-introspection.  And sure, some men are all reflection and inner work with few external desires - but I think most men desire a mix of encouraged self-belief and understanding support.

Inevitably these two things come into conflict.

Basically, every man just wants to hear “I know you can be more, but you are enough already and even if you just stay where you are, I'll be right here next to you.  You're going to be great - but you don't need to be great, and I'm with you no matter what.”

If you, as a person that's close to a man in his life, can say those two sentences to him, I wonder how few men have ever heard that.

“I know you can be more, but you are enough already, and even if you just stay where you are, I'll be right here next to you.   You're going to be great - but you don't need to be great, and I'm with you no matter what.”

** This transcript is from Episode 999 of the Modern Wisdom Podcast by Chris Williamson. As a man and as a father, this message was powerful and I felt it was worth repackaging in hopes that more people would benefit from Chris’ wisdom and insights. 

#SupportMen #MensMentalHealth #Compassion #Encouragement #DontWaitLeadNow

-Jim

Disclaimer:  This post is mine alone and may not be the views or opinions of any others, including past or current employers, friends, or family.  You can also find me on Substack, Medium, Tumblr, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X – and you can find my book here on Amazon