Captain Aggravated

So, a lot of men went to college, got degrees in computer science having been sold the abject lie that higher education means greater job prospects, only to find programming as a career has been repealed because AI. They now have expensive college loans to repay and the same job prospects they did as a high school junior.

What’s a therapist going to do about this? Other than, you know, waste your time and take your money.

Perhaps I am.

It is indeed still that bad nowadays and is only getting worse. Women and men hate each other nowadays, because we’re completely fucking awful to each other.

The way you respond better, is to either actually be a supportive friend, or leave him alone.

It isn’t generational. My great grandfather was told to man up on his way to Guadalcanal, my grandfather was told to “man up” on his way to Korea, my uncle was told to man up on his way to Vietnam, and my cousin was told to man up on his way to Iraq.

My great grandfather was told to man up on the farm. My grandfather was told to man up at his job at the factory. My uncle told to man up at his job in the machine shop. I was told to man up at my job in the hangar. The crops needed harvesting, these TVs need to get made, these engines need to get built, these planes need to be back in the air. Physically demanding work in uncomfortable conditions often around unhealthy substances.

The uncomfortable truth is, society depends utterly and completely on men manning up. Putting the wants, needs and demands of others above their own safety and comfort. Particularly as basically all infrastructure jobs are done by men, there aren’t many female coal miners, oil drillers, construction workers, powerplant operators, linemen, millbillies, electricians, dockworkers, sailors, truckers, rail engineers, pilots, mechanics etc. There is no room on this earth for a man to squeal about breaking a nail or getting metal splinters in his eyes. Everyone everywhere will always demand that men man up. After all, nobody else is going to.

Have you tried bitching him out about “emotional labor?” Or actively pestering him to talk about his feelings because YOU’RE feeling insecure about something…only to use his response as gossip fodder or better yet ammunition in an argument later on? NO NO! Better! Sever any relationship or friendship with him instant he genuinely decides to confide in you, throwing into sharp relief the callous disregard you actually hold him in by kicking him while he’s down. These’ll have a fantastic impact on both his mental health and his overall attitudes to women as a political cohort.

The construction worker who answers “How are ya?” with “Living the dream, one nightmare at a time” is willing and able to express his feelings. His job is difficult, dangerous and painful, the pay is stagnant and prices of literally everything are only increasing, one mistake with a circular saw and he’ll never work again, his boss is a total waste of cunt, his customers are shithead Karens and his coworkers are all cooking in the same crucible. His father and grandfather supported families single-handedly doing this very job, meanwhile he’s not making ends meet as a bachelor. And you’re going to flippantly tell him to go to therapy. As if it’s his feelings that are the actual problem here. His feelings are perfectly calibrated and functioning normally. The fact that you are at a loss to say or do anything that is actually helpful is more of a reflection on you.