We asked men to talk about how the societal perceptions of "masculinity" have affected them.
BuzzFeed Video / Via youtu.be
Identifying as a man can lead to feeling some weird pressures from society.
It's hard not to compare yourself with the celebrities, sports stars, and public figures that are touted as model men.
As a kid, some guys wanted to have a beard because that seemed "manly" to them.
In fact, there's a ton of stereotypes that people expect when they try to define "a man."
And there doesn't seem to be a lot of wiggle room in that definition of “manliness."
When you don't fit in the strict lines that society sets out for men, how do you figure out who you are?
Some men reported hurtful things that were said about them by others.
And some guys said that physical differences could make them feel less than, just because they were an individual.
Facing all that pressure kinda sucks.
In the end, it's powerful to reclaim your identity as what YOU define it to be.
We are all so hugely complicated, unique, multifaceted, and special -- why boil it down to something so small?
