This episode features a passage from The Road to Hell is Paved with Suppressed Emotions, by Tom Gentry. It was published February 24, 2023, on Substack.
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There’s nothing courageous about pretending not to hurt, and swallowing your tears.
We act as if a man only has two choices. He can either be a basket case, or he can be someone who never feels at all. It’s just not true.
There’s a way of being in which a man is strong, and expresses sadness. It’s not one or the other. I do it. My son does it. I know plenty of men who do it.
We’re given a false choice. We’re taught we have to choose whether to be emotional or to be strong. We don’t. In fact, we can’t. Emotions are not really a choice. Either we choose to feel them, or sooner or later they have their way with us.
Because we pretend that men don’t or shouldn’t have emotions, there’s no opening to teach men how to have emotions.
So, Just a Thought. Ask yourself. Do I fall into this trap of black and white thinking when it comes to emotions? And if you do. Try to be more objective about it.
© Copyright 2023, Tom Gentry; Music: Worky Worky by Andy G. Cohen, edited for use. Used with permission from the artist under a Creative Commons license. Cover photo by Sam Barber on Unsplash.
We acknowledge that Just a Thought and its related content are produced on what was the land of the Myaamia people, to whom we offer our respect.
