And especially when it comes to men. There's no way a dude can get away with having or expressing any set of emotions that even slightly lean towards the softer side. Nope, no way! Displaying empathy, sadness, grief, or, God forbid, taking the other person's side when a 'Bro' is involved – it's like an SOS call. Because ofcourse, mard ko kahaan dard hota hai?
This whole scenario plays out rather harshly in the real world, especially where men are trying to just Nail it – not just on the Love front, mind you, but on the Job Front, in the work arena. Where manhood needs to be proven and approved almost every day, thrice a day.
Because showing any of these is a sure-fire shot in your own foot, men just bury it. 'Vulnerable'? Who, me? Hell no, I'm faaiiine... just fine!! And then, along comes a Right swipe – are yaar, brute force might not get you beyond a simple "hello" in the online space!
So break that code, whether it's at work or in online dating. It's actually 'normal' (unfortunately, not so common) to own up to feelings because, you know what, no one feels 'high emotions' all the time. No, no one! So when you do – that's fine. That's cool, actually. You might not have the language yet, but showing empathy, understanding, vulnerability, weakness, confusion... it's all okay! Prepare for the time when you can confidently say, "Am I the only feminist in the room?"