I’m very aware of gender stereotypes when it comes to women and what society expects of us – however, I’m pretty clueless about how men feel about their stereotypes. So this Reddit thread full of guys sharing things that society expects them to enjoy but don’t care about at all is quite interesting. Here’s what some shared:
Note: Some answers have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Via FX Networks / giphy.com
1.“Career goals. I work to pay the bills, nothing more. My career doesn’t define me as a person or give me meaning in life. My free time is much more important to me.”
-u/commercial lane6
2.“Powerlessness and bullying. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a brat; sex is great. But it’s not a pleasure I’ve ever put on a pedestal; it doesn’t define my masculinity. I’ve never been in a ‘fuck boy’ culture – I can’t be honest. To me, sex is simply one of the best aspects of a healthy and meaningful relationship.”
3.“Strip clubs. Why would I pay to be teased?”
-u/Light_fires
4.“Luxuries and luxuries. I do well financially, but I live relatively frugally. I drive an older vehicle. I have no debt. I fix things instead of trade them. I cook my own meals. I see a lot of men trying to buy happiness or that’s not the right way to buy things they believe in .
—in/Telrom_1
5.“Sports. I literally couldn’t care less if I tried. I have no idea what’s going on in sports. So it’s an awkward topic of casual conversation because I know nothing about what’s going on in the sports world.”
6.“Competition. I hate it. I hate how it turns people into backstabbing, selfish jerks. I just want everyone to be kind to each other.”
—u/BootyBRGLR69
7.“Cars. Almost all men start talking to me about cars and expect me to know all the brands by heart. They point to a car and say, ‘Oh, it’s a Volvo F29 X ZETA 2027 Edition!’ and I’m like, ‘That looks like a car to me.’
— u/ Tabbarn
8.“Beer, I’ve tried many, and the taste just doesn’t appeal to me.”
9.We talk about women sexually. I don’t care about the “Damn, he’s fine!” but that’s about it for me.”
-u/Physics_Dan
10.“Outdoor activities. Hiking, mountain climbing, hunting, etc. are not for me. I am called indoors.”
-u/yoduh4077
11.“Lawn care and crap about grass and weeds.”
12.“For me it has to be camping. Don’t get me wrong, I love nature and the outdoors, but spending the night in a flimsy tent with feathers crawling everywhere and no comfortable bed? Yeah, I’ll take my own cozy apartment over that any day. Sorry society, I’m sticking to glamping or on day trips in the wilderness.”
-u/LunarLaceAlisha
13.“Typical external signs of masculinity. It seems that men are expected to have things like aggressive tattoos, leather jackets or shirts with violent connotations. I can’t stand them. They looked so exaggerated. I’m also retired from the military, so I don’t have have nothing to prove to anyone in terms of masculinity, it may matter.”
-u/luckystrike_bh
14.“Fishing. It’s boring as hell, and I don’t like hurting animals. I’d rather watch them in the sea than tear them out.”
-u/TongaDeMironga
15.“Rough sex. It appeals to me very little, but it seems that my sex partners either don’t believe in it (probably because ex-men have wanted rough sex with them) or because they want to have it themselves. Even then , when I say I’m gentle in bed and rarely something rougher, it feels like my partners expect me to start hurting them I don’t like the idea of hurting my partner in bed, and I feel condemned for not believing it, it feels like such a weighty expectation.
People who identify as male, can you add anything else to this list? If so, share it with me in the comments below!