Well, contrary to popular belief, feelings do not just disappear because they are suppressed or avoided. In fact, hidden feelings are like silent assassins; hence the phrase “silent but deadly”. Just when we think we are safe from them [our feelings], they sneak up on us, and attack without warning at the most inopportune moment! This attack comes in many forms. It could be bouts of anger, a physical attack on our bodies such as a heart attack, being disrespectful to someone that is trying to show genuine concern for us, or even in the form self-sabotage. Regardless of how it is manifested, the effects are often devastating. Men are notorious for messing up perfectly good situations because of a lack of communication Silent But Deadly by Terry Howell For many generations, men have been designated to bear the weight of responsibility for their households, families, careers, and so on. Of course, we should be responsible for these things. The issue in question is not the responsibility. The concern; however, is how we are taught to handle that responsibility. It is common practice to teach our young boys to be tough – that feelings are for girls. This line of thinking plagues our society to this day! Because boys [whom will eventually become men] always view expression as a sign of weakness, they continue to hide the way they are truly feeling inside. Why is this a problem? or a lack of expression. We would rather go down in flames than open up and allow ourselves a brief moment of vulnerability. Why? It is because we don’t want to appear to be “soft” to others. As I mentioned earlier, feelings do not just disappear. At some point, if not properly expressed, those feelings are going to come out in one form or another. More often than not, when they do boil to the surface, we often act out of character and leave a trail of devastation and destruction in its wake. Make no mistake; men are not always what they appear to be! Yes, they laugh, they joke, and they have fun on the outside, but on the inside, they are in anguish because they are trapped little boys that have yet to heal. They mask their pain with the appearance of confidence, arrogance, humor, conceit, and the like, but on the inside they are suffering from depression and anxiety. Many men are stuck in a mindset that is unhealthy, and yet, refuse to choose something different. They are not stuck because they can’t talk or become vulnerable. They are stuck because they are not willing to talk or become vulnerable. Men willingly keep themselves locked away in selfimposed prisons of their minds because of pride. It is my hope that every man that reads this article will understand how critical it is to talk about your
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