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We live in a society that praises individualism as the pinnacle of success.

“Be self-made.”

“Don’t ask for help.”

“Man up.”

It’s a cultural script whispered into the ears of boys and men from the moment they can walk. But what we don’t talk about enough is the cost.

This system—the one built on patriarchal values—didn’t just oppress women. It severed men from one another. It shattered the village, dismantled the tribe, and sold us the lie of rugged isolation.

It taught men that to need others was weakness. That to show pain was shameful. That if you can’t do it all on your own, you’re not enough.

But here’s the truth:

Humans were never meant to go it alone.

Our ancestors survived because of each other. To be cast out of the tribe was, quite literally, a death sentence. That fear lives on in our bones, and the trauma of disconnection runs deep—especially in men, who have been trained to suppress, to cope alone, to armor up.

And the consequences? Devastating.

Men make up the majority of suicides worldwide. Not because they are weak or because they lack resilience but because they’ve been cut off—from their emotions, from each other, and from a culture that permits their full humanity.

This is not just a men’s issue. This is a societal wound.

When we raise boys to believe they must be invulnerable, we steal from them the community that makes us all whole.

So today, let’s name the lie:

Being human is not a failure. Needing others is not shameful. Resting is not lazy. Asking for help is not weak.

Let’s start telling new stories. Stories where men cry and are held. Where fathers are nurturers. Where strength is measured by honesty, not endurance. Where connection is sacred again.

May we begin to rebuild the village—because no one was ever meant to be an island.

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