A lot of us feel pressured to conform. It takes a lot of guts to voice your opinion when you know the vast majority of people are likely to criticize you for it. That’s exactly what the men of Reddit have been doing on the r/AskMen subreddit.
Redditor M_RONA asked them to share their opinions that are generally unpopular among men, and they’ve been opening up about their honest thoughts. Candid, some might say even vulnerable, these opinions are bound to resonate with quite a few readers who might think the same but might find it difficult to talk about in public for fear of being ostracized.
You’ll find these ‘unmanly’ and ‘unpopular’ opinions below, so have a read and let us know what you thought of them in the comments, Pandas. Upvote the opinions that you agree with and be sure to share your perspective about why men are pressured to conform to a rigid set of ideas, likes, and behaviors.
I reached out to redditor M_RONA, the author of the viral thread, and had a great chat with him about masculinity, the inspiration behind the question, as well as the pressure that many people in society feel to conform to certain standards.
“I think, as men, we need to be more open about our issues and acknowledge the fact that we face some tough [stuff], often imposed on us by other guys,” he told Bored Panda. “There’s nothing wrong with being honest about what’s bothering us, and I think just being able to talk about some of the issues we face would be a major contributing factor to our general well-being. Something as simple as just asking our friends how they’re doing in life could go a long way!” Scroll down for the in-depth interview, dear Pandas, this isn’t something you’d want to miss.
#1
If a guy is bashing some woman behind her back saying all sorts of awful things but to her face is being all nice and flirty with the sole goal of f**king her then dropping her, you’re getting no “bro code” from me. I will absolutely out you.
I have no problem with hook ups at all, but if you’re going to act like a scumbag, I’m going to treat you like one. I don’t care if that’s labeled as white knighting or whatever the f**k. It’s not even about gender, if somebody is being super phony trying to take advantage of somebody else, you have zero respect from me and I will burn you to the ground in whatever way available to me.
Image source: TheThrowawayAdvic, Eric Ward
#2
It’s ok to call other guys good looking. Not tell them directly, but just be able to tell your friends “hey you know what, that guy over there is handsome”. Doesn’t make me gay, or make me weird in any way. I feel comfortable enough with myself that I can acknowledge there are some damn good looking guys out there, so good for them.
Image source: iginca, Ruthson Zimmerman
#3
Sports are overrated. At least watching them is
Image source: Abigboi, Leio McLaren
#4
Crying and being emotional is not only normal, but can be a needed cathartic release as well.
There’s nothing wrong with wearing your emotions on your sleeve.
Image source: Ericrobertson1978, Christian Erfurt
#5
Women are abused and poorly treated across the board at a rate that is nothing short of disgraceful
Image source: Diff4rent1
#6
That both men and women can strictly just be platonic friends with one another without ulterior motives.
Image source: KazenY2J, Brooke Cagle
#7
Strip clubs are depressing and lame
Image source: Raidicus , Nick Bolton
#8
Working 80hrs a week doesn’t make you any more of a man than working 40 hrs a week. We are all out to get bread, stop dehumanizing other men for not working their life away. It’s okay to have weekends off and enjoy life.
Image source: Kinkyfxcker , Atoms
#9
Sitting on the toilet to pee is much more convenient, clean and hygienic. Also using a bit of toilet-paper to wipe the tip instead of shaking
Image source: xonxtas, 99.films
#10
I like fruity “feminine” drinks!!! I am a whisky/scotch man but give me a Mai Tai and I will drink the s**t out of it. I have never understood why men aren’t supposed to like drinks that taste good.
Image source: ens_expendable, Richard Brutyo
#11
Buying tampons for your wife/girlfriend/daughter/mistress/one night stand is not a big deal.
Image source: -RUNPMT-
#12
If it’s honest work and you’re able to keep on top of the bills, there’s no shame in your job.
You can live a fine comfortable life without ever setting foot in a college.
Image source: ThatRookieGuy80
#13
I love chubby girls
Image source: Craigdickson1980
#14
It’s not gay to touch or hug your friends
Image source: SmolAnus, Thiago Barletta
#15
“Not all men just want to hook up, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Even when I was app dating (in a long term relationship now), I was not dating to hook up. I straight up turned down one night stands and various sexual encounters with women I knew I had no interest in seeing again. The concept that I’d turn down a willing and consenting partner and leave a situation where I could have gotten laid was a foreign and “wrong” idea to everyone I discussed it with. The prevailing opinion was: ‘dude just hookup and bail, even if you know you’re not going to see her again you can have some fun first.’ Don’t know why no one else saw it my way. I just am not into sex with someone I’m not invested in and don’t trust yet.
Image source: Ollivander451
#16
Most guys don’t put nearly as much effort into their attractiveness as the women they think they deserve to date.
Image source: Hollywood899, Drew Hays
#17
Personality is better than attractiveness. Some of my close buddies try to only go for 10/10 chicks. Like ya that’s good and all but if you can’t even talk to the girl then what’s the point
Image source: Derman0524
#18
People shouldn’t be pressured to always be high achievers or to have some huge goal they’re working towards. I’m not saying it’s OK to be “lazy,” but equally we don’t all have to be aiming to become senior managers or famous celebs. Some dudes just like to go to the 9-5, put in their time, come home and chill with the family and that’s totally fine.
Image source: Hooch_Pandersnatch, Hunters Race
#19
That being a dad, is in fact, my actual favorite thing to do.
I have painstakingly procured a life, and career, that allows me to exercise at work, practice my hobby during working hours (BJJ). So basically I telework. But I am not monitored. I do all my work that needs to get done on time and early and above standard. So nobody questions what I do during the day. But they do know. I have told my supervisor and when s**t pops, it never gets in the way of work. Balance. So that way all my time when my kids get out of school can be devoted to them with 100% of my attention. That way I can listen to them, really listen to remember those things that are super important to them. I ducking love watching them explore the world and first crushes and turning down boys and my little guy thinking he’s he-man cause he lifted a gallon of milk. Lest we forget that’s a mans first feat of strength to show mommy we are big boys. F**king love it.
Image source: iamthemadking, Kelli McClintock
#20
That it’s ok to genuinely want affection
Image source: LightningScar80
#21
People can wear whatever clothes they wanna and it doesn’t define sexuality!!!!
Image source: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskMen/comments/q2h35s/comment/hfmnljo/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3, Cody Black
#22
It’s better to have quality sexual encounters instead of quantitative
Image source: level 1 Shintaigou, Jakob Owens
#23
Sports are dumb.
Everyone packing into crowds so they can fawn over some guys because they can throw a ball through a hoop, or whatever? Dumb. Pointless. A huge waste of time and resources.
Think of what we could do if we took all the time and money and attention and passion spent on overly complicated kids games and put it toward something productive or rewarding. It’s a drain on human potential without returning anything.
Plus is encourages aggression and tribalism, stupid conflicts and exclusionary behaviors. And we make our education system so much more expensive because we insist on attaching our schools to minor-league sports teams.
Image source: LaughDull967
#24
Being able to beat up another man you have an issue with doesn’t make you the stronger man, or correct.
Image source: LeverTech
#25
I prefer small breasts. A full figured woman with hips and an arse, but small(er) breasts. The whole huge breast phenomenon just doesnt gel with me.
Itty bitty titty committee all the way.
Image source: ThrowRA-4545, Rowan Chestnut
#26
Telling your friends you love them is perfectly normal
Image source: Laufayette
#27
Cooking for yourself is fun as s**t and extremely rewarding.
Image source: pegleg_1979
#28
I get a bit emotional while listening to beautiful music… It’s my opinion that men would rather do this while alone.
Image source: gesshoom, Andriyko Podilnyk
#29
More military related, but women absolutely have a place in the infantry. I had the privilege serve alongside some of the toughest women I’ve ever met. They could outrun and outgun many of our guys any day of the week.
Image source: CopeMint41
#30
Yoga is a great thing to do if you work laborious jobs.
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