A significant portion of men still find it difficult to be publicly vulnerable and communicate their thoughts, despite the fact that the high rates of male suicide have solidified the topic’s place on the national agenda.
A recent film investigates why many men continue to bottle up their feelings and questions whether such ingrained, systemic behavior can be changed, given that suicide is the leading cause of death for males under 50 in the UK.
The director of Silent Men, Duncan Cowles, is the first to acknowledge his own difficulties in emotionally opening up to people closest to him. He makes a joke about how “dragging myself backwards” it was to tackle the subject for the documentary.
However, he explains to News during the Sheffield Documentary Festival that he thought it was a necessary journey to take because the consequences of denying your feelings are much more terrifying.
“I think there’s still a lot of societal pressure around those traditional masculine traits,” Cowles stated. “Being strong and things associated with being a leader or this stable, reliable, dependable figure.”The image of the traditional male, the James Bond figure that many of us may have grown up with, may still have a certain allure. I believe there are still a lot of individuals that are interested in it.
“In contrast, I’ve found that being a little more honest and upfront can really strengthen relationships and increase happiness, fulfillment, and connection.
