Men Who See The World This Way Are More Likely To Have Psychological Issues, Study Finds
Sergio Kian | UnsplashLadies, the men who catcall you, talk down to you, or treat you like a piece of meat might have more going on than you realize. That doesn't excuse the behavior, of course. They're still responsible for how they treat women.
But according to research, men who see the world through certain rigid masculine beliefs may also be more likely to struggle with psychological issues.
Men who see the world in misogynistic ways are more likely to have psychological issues, study finds
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According to a 2016 study, these misogynistic attitudes may be connected to poorer mental health outcomes, especially when they're tied to rigid ideas about masculinity.
The Journal of Counseling Psychology published a study that suggested men who see themselves as being in positions of power over women or even as "playboys" are much more likely to have psychological problems than those men who don't. Worse still? They're also far less inclined to seek treatment for those problems, it would seem.
The researchers from Indiana University, Bloomington, analyzed 78 studies involving nearly 20,000 people exploring "the relationship between mental health and conformity to norms." They looked into what society typically considers "masculine," including a desire to win, self-reliance, risk-taking, power over women, the pursuit of status, and a need for emotional control.
Of these influences, the researchers also looked for potential connections to good or bad mental health and compared those with the person's desire to seek help for any potential psychological issues.
The researchers were able to draw a clear association between men who felt the need to conform to typical masculine norms and poor mental health
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Of these "norms," the most consistent link was found in men who believed in exercising power over women and Playboy behavior. Misogynistic guys who like to use women or exhibit control issues over them were more likely to report poorer mental health outcomes.
It's not hard to imagine that they at least have to deal with self-esteem issues if they're getting rejections from women all day long because they're going about relationships with ladies entirely the wrong way.
The study wasn't certain if the men involved already had these mental health issues and were, therefore, acting this way to women and embracing masculine norms, or if they began behaving in these rigidly "masculine" ways and then developed poor mental health as a result.
But either way, the connection was clear: Men who try to be ultra-masculine and choose to be misogynistic toward women are most likely suffering from some form of untreated depression or other negative mental health issues.
Of course, mental health struggles don't make misogyny harmless, and they don't make women responsible for fixing it.
Rigid, misogynistic ideas about masculinity seem to hurt everyone involved, including the men who cling to them
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So next time that guy won't stop hounding you, just be aware of the fact that he's trying to live up to a standard that is literally unhealthy for him to the point of psychological stress.
We might not be able to help men who aren't interested in stopping their Playboy behavior, but we can start by setting a standard for young boys to live up to that doesn't include the need to dominate women. This is a problem that affects everyone, men and women alike, and shouldn't keep getting passed down unchecked for untold generations.
Merethe Najjar is a professional writer, editor, and award-winning fiction author. Her articles have been featured in The Aviator Magazine, Infinite Press, Yahoo, BRIDES, and more.
