Toxic Masculinity • 5 / 6

Are you bothered by my emotions?

This is a classic example of turning a positive trait into something negative like a personality defect. 

Like all things there's a balance, but being sensitive to emotion isn't a bad thing. 

It just means that you're aware and conscious of your feelings instead of being a stone cold brick wall that doesn't show emotion. 

Blaming someone for being too sensitive dismisses their feelings and turns the blame on them. It puts them at fault and turns them into the victim. 

This also tells this person how they should feel. 

The reason this is so harmful is because it makes you question your perception of how you handle certain situations. 

You start questioning whether your reaction was legit or if you're just blowing it out of proportion. 

What this does is make you shut down your emotional response in fear of seeming too emotional. 

You're likely to forget how to effectively communicate your feelings or channel them into other forms of unhealthy expression. 

As males, we're so often told in various ways—relationships, the media, societal norms—that our feelings are wrong and unjustified. 

This has serious negative consequences.

Ignoring your feelings doesn't make them magically disappear. 🪄

The next time there's thought that someone may be too sensitive to a situation, try being understanding. 

There's definitely a reason behind it, so ask questions and listen. 

And on the flip side - the next time you're accused of being too sensitive, try figuring out what that person truly means and assess the situation. 

"You're too sensitive" is often used as a blanket statement for a variety of ulterior things.