"Because behind the armor, Don Quixote is simply a man unwilling to live in a world that has stopped believing in purpose, conviction, or emotional truth. A world where standing for something makes you a target, where silence passes for strength, and where too many men are trained to follow the loudest voice instead of their own. So he creates something more. Even if it costs him everything. For many American men today, Don Quixote feels less like fiction and more like a mirror."
"In America, boys are taught early how to survive, not by understanding themselves, but by shutting parts of themselves down. Emotional pain is something to walk off. Sadness hides behind humor. Vulnerability becomes something to apologize for. This training isn't always intentional, but it's everywhere, in families, schools, locker rooms, media, and culture. By adulthood, many men are fluent in toughness, silence, and performance, but emotionally illiterate. And for a while, it works."
American boys are taught to survive by shutting down parts of themselves, which trains men to hide emotion behind toughness, humor, and silence. This conditioned emotional illiteracy leads men to build lives focused on control, productivity, and invisibility, often appearing dependable while losing inner connection. Suppressed feelings eventually cause burnout, confusion about purpose, and fractured identity. Don Quixote exemplifies a man who rejects social norms and listens to his inner voice, choosing conviction and emotional truth over conformity. Listening to one's inner voice can guide men toward healing, honesty, and a more integrated, purpose-driven life.
Read at Psychology Today
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