That said, men are less likely to talk or open up about their feelings; first, because they aren't encouraged by society to tune into their sensitivity. Additionally, men tend to “brush it off” when they experience difficult feelings because they don't see an immediate solution.
From an early age, men are conditioned to believe that expressing their feelings is out of character with the male identity. Doing so can ruin their image of being strong and stoic. Specifically, men are told that crying in front of other people will threaten their masculinity. The same can be said about mental health.
To maintain the appearance of manliness, the research finds that 38 percent of men do not talk to others about their feelings and almost three in 10 have never shown emotion or cried in front of others.
There can be several reasons why men pull back when they get feelings. For instance, some men may pull back because they are afraid of being hurt or rejected, while others may do so due to fear of commitment.
Emotional stress, like that from blocked emotions, has not only been linked to mental ills, but also to physical problems like heart disease, intestinal problems, headaches, insomnia and autoimmune disorders. Most people are ruled by their emotions without any awareness that this is happening.
He Is Afraid Of His Feelings For You
Maybe this is the first time he is experiencing such intense feelings for someone, and this scares him. He might be scared of the fact that he will disappoint you or doubtful if he is ready to commit. Being afraid of feelings and love is the number one reason men pull away.
One of the signs he is fighting his feelings for you is the desire to justify himself all the time. He explains everything he does and does his best to make you see reason, even when you can't be bothered and you aren't asking.
In plain language: Men often feel most loved by the women in their lives when their partners hug them, kiss them, smile at them, and explicitly offer gratitude, praise, and words of affection. Men also feel loved and connected through sexuality, often to a greater degree than women do.
The greater the emotion, the longer it takes.
Men take a longer time on average to understand what they are feeling and to figure out what may be causing the emotion.
For a number of reasons — many rooted in socialized norms about masculinity — men are often taught very young to diminish, or even ignore, their emotions in relationships. They do this, however, at the expense of their relationships' health and their own well-being.
These pressures come with real consequences: 39% of men say they at times change their behavior to appear more masculine, with 10% saying they do it "frequently." More than a quarter of men (29%) say they've purposefully not shown emotion or held back from crying in front of others in order to preserve their ...
Many guys hate failing and feeling inadequate. They often don't have the speed of words to compete with their partner in a conflict. Men's emotional processing capacity is often much slower than their partner. Whilst being silent is a sign of a man's need to process it is also a way to avoid the feelings of defeat.
“Psychologists see this as self-soothing behaviours,” says Kolto. “I don't know of any statistics, [but] I believe many men do touch or play with their private parts, although the majority would only do it when they are alone, or maybe when surrounded by an all-male company where they won't be frowned upon.”
Men, in particular, can be guarded when they're hurt. Instead of telling you when they feel hurt, they may withdraw, lash out, or act in other strange ways. These reactions can be frustrating and confusing. But it's important to know both the subtle and clear signs that a man is hurt emotionally.
When a man is confused about his feelings for you, it could be due to fear of rejection. So instead of focusing on getting to know you and deciding on another date, he may spend all of his time worrying about whether you like him or not. He may even be afraid that you will reject him for a date, which could be hurtful.
He needs some time to be sure of his feelings. Sometimes, guys withdraw from a situation and act uninvolved to be able to see it from a different perspective. By keeping a distance from you, he is trying to see the relationship differently and understand if he really wants to keep this going.
It doesn't have anything to do with you or how they feel about you. If your husband or partner shuts down when you cry, for example, it may be because they don't know the best way to handle that display of emotions. It's not that necessarily they don't care about you or value your feelings.
Things You Should Know
If a guy distances himself after sex, it could be because he wants to take things slow, he has a super busy schedule, or he struggles with intimacy issues. When a guy distances himself after intimacy, you can reach out to him to get clarity, or you can focus on self-care and moving on.
“Surface acting” refers to the type of emotional communication that involves covering up your true feelings while you put on a false front. Typically, in surface acting, you're trying to cover up such negative emotions as anger or frustration because expressing them would get you in trouble.
According to experts, many people often hide their emotions to protect their relationships. Specifically, the person you care about does things that make you feel uncomfortable. However, instead of expressing discomfort, complaining, you choose to hide your true feelings.