Men Share 30 Things They Believe Women Will Never Understand About Being A Man

The factors that have led to men and women having often quite different life experiences, particularly through history, are pretty varied. While those forces in many cases still exist, there are a myriad of smaller, day-to-day things one gender might not even think about until a member from the other points it out. 

For example, while its effects are basically omnipresent in many parts of the world, many women have not considered the abject terror brought on by male-pattern baldness. Roughly 30-50% of US men will encounter some amount of hair loss by the time they are fifty, creating a booming industry in toupees and hair transplants, as perhaps too much importance is placed on this objectively smallish tuft of hair.

This fear leads to a large number of myths and alternative “remedies” for hair loss that, for the most part, have little to no bearing on reality. Because testosterone levels play some part in how hair works, some have speculated that weight training might lead to male-pattern baldness, despite the fact that most cases are just hereditary. While there does seem to be a connection between excess testosterone and hair loss, many balding men also report low testosterone levels. 

Some studies indicate that women have a stronger sense of smell than men, which is both a blessing and a curse, as many a young man learns a bit too late that if he can smell himself, everyone around him can as well. While there was no doubt a time when ancient humans needed every sense to be as sharp as possible, these days most aggressive aromas, from hot garbage to people who apply perfume with a hose, are more annoying than anything. 

Socially, men are in many ways more at risk of loneliness. Male friendships, as opposed to female friendships, are more often based on shared activities than personal connections. This can endanger friendships if the activity has to end and also limits the “scope” of the relationship. Emotional disclosure can be harder if your friend is more of a tennis buddy than a true confidant.

In the 21st century, given that most of us no longer work jobs where peak physique is required, some of the “evolutionary” advantages of the male body fall away. However, the image, or at least personal belief in that image of masculinity is still around, creating a psychological gap that many men don’t know how to overcome. Even worse, many men don’t even know how to ask for help.