Do you ever feel like it would have been great if you were taught to deal with important things, really important things that life throws at you? For example, alongside football, wouldn’t it have been ideal if your P.T. teacher taught you to deal with pressure to perform well? Or alongside “looking presentable”, wouldn’t it have been great if your parents taught you how to deal with body-image issues?
Dealing with failure, complex emotions and relationships, desires, etc. are things that are usually not taught to individuals. Instead, they are left to deal with it and learn from experience instead. However, people online have been expressing the need to teach their sons things that will prevent them from the “mental health traps” that guys face.
After one Reddit user dropped a question on social media regarding the important things to teach our sons for them to have a good life, many responded with important points.
Here’s a look at some of them:
1. There’s no need for being a ‘one-man army’. Look for a tribe instead.
2. Be emotionally available for your friends.
3. Rely on and trust others and learn self-defence.
4. Work on yourself.
5. Sometimes, put yourself first.
6. Don’t test another’s high ground.
7. Don’t let them believe or make sweeping generalisations.
8. Always be respectful because people tend to remember you by your first impression.
9. It’s okay to cry, but don’t think you’re in this alone.
10. It’s okay to show your emotions.
11. Try not to bottle up your feelings.
12. Think from the head, not from the penis.
13. Everyone is deserving of respect, especially the ones who work for you.
14. Don’t shy away from asking for help. Everyone needs it.
The younger generation doesn’t need to take blows from life to learn these. Perhaps we could try to make the world a safe space for them.