This archive report was first published on 20 December 2019.
December 20, 2019, marked a poignant moment in the conversation around men's emotional well-being, as music industry legend Tedd Josiah shed light on the devastating consequences of suppressing emotions.
According to Josiah, men are often socialized to hide their emotions, with the notion that 'big boys don't cry' being a pervasive message from a young age.
He recalled how this mindset can lead to destructive coping mechanisms, such as infidelity, alcoholism, and violence, as men struggle to deal with their emotions in a healthy way.
"Ladies, this leads to your man bottling things he should be speaking to you about, and they will come out in one way or form... Emotions cannot be slept away, brushed away, wished away, or deleted," Josiah emphasized.
He attributed this issue to societal expectations, where men are often encouraged to be strong and stoic, while their emotional needs are neglected.
"It all begins when our boys fall off their bikes as toddlers and we tell them 'Get up, don't cry, cause big boys don't cry.' When they don't do well in school and we tell them 'Man up, you can't be a failure, you must beat everyone else, or you're weak,'" Josiah explained.
He shared his personal experience of seeing good men take their own lives due to the pressure to conform to societal expectations, rather than being allowed to express their emotions in a healthy way.
"Were they weak or neglected and ignored?" Josiah asked, highlighting the need for a more empathetic approach to men's emotional well-being.
