Exploring the dangers of idealised masculinity
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Men are taught to be masculine, strong and to uphold the image of ‘the perfect man’. Why?
What is the perfect man? Is he tanned with muscles? Is he blonde with blue eyes? Does he act rowdy, superior or dominant? Actually, he is all or none of these characteristics. He could be tall, short, big or small. He could have blue, brown, green, grey or any colour eyes. He could have scars or he could not. The point is, there is no ‘perfect’ man. There is no ‘average’ male. There is no one male image that young men should strive for, because perfection doesn’t exist.
Not only does this cause issues with self-esteem and make men self-conscious, but it also affects their mental health. Millions of men worldwide struggle with body image that the vast majority won’t talk about, that can lead to long-term mental health problems. In a recent survey, 55% of boys said they would consider changing their diet to get in shape, with 23% saying they believed the image of ‘the perfect man’ exists. Some of...
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