Men on the internet are calling out the most common misconceptions the world has about being a dude — and it's sparking all sorts of important dialogues about relationships, sex, mental health, and more.
It all started when a viral Reddit thread asked: "Men of Reddit, what’s a 100% myth about men?" Here are some of the top-voted responses:
1. "That having a boner means we're horny."
2. "That men think about sex every six seconds. Think about the sheer logistics of it. Ten times a minute. 600 times an hour. 9,600 times a waking day. Ain’t nobody got time for that."
3. "[Contrary to common belief], men can urinate with an erection. It's simply more difficult. An ex of mine thought it was physically impossible."
4. "I mean, a surprising amount of women have grown up believing the foreskin is 1) an abnormality and 2) inherently filthy."
5. "That men don't have body image issues. Every man I know, from middle school to middle age, has issues with their body. Maybe he's convinced he's not tall enough. Maybe it's his weight. Maybe he thinks his dick is too small. Maybe he hates his body hair. Yet, for some reason, society at large seems to think that men who are worried about some aspect of their body are either 1) nonexistent or 2) whiny little bitches."
6. "Height or feet size corresponding with dick size. Sorry friends, everything is a mixed bag. Being pleasantly surprised is the key."
7. "My crush's dad likes to tell her that all I think about is sex and food, that I only want to date for sex, that I’m only horny, etc. It feels like he’s trying to get her to pull away from me. Bitch, I want someone to cuddle and love. I don’t care about the sex. It’s nice, but I’d rather have a healthy relationship with a girl I love."
8. "That we are not afraid of insects."
9. "That we all like to fight…fuck that — 35 years old and never threw a punch."
10. "That we get erections on purpose. 90% of the time, we don't mean to, and we have almost no control over when it happens."
11. "That we're all emotionless or emotionally inaccessible. Also that we don't cry to express suffering."
12. "Female friends oftentimes say that peeing is easier for men. Let me introduce you to the Split Stream. Shoots twice as much, one aiming at Narnia, the other toward Neverland."
13. "That we all like sports."
14. "That we don't have feelings. We're just trained by society to keep them buried."
15. "We don't enjoy sexual harassment, either. I can't believe how many times I've seen women exhibit the exact behavior they tell us is unforgivable."
16. "That we're all sexually monolithic. I've had women try things with me during sex, where I said, 'Don't do that, I don't like it,' only to have her respond, 'What do you mean? All men like that.'"
17. "That we only like big boobs. It's not true. Plenty of us like and even prefer small ones. Personally, I think the smaller the boobs, the better."
18. "That we have our legs spread apart to show dominance or something. Listen, if you had your entire reproductive system hanging outside of your body in a sack of skin between your legs, would you like that to be squished by smashing your legs together? No."
19. "That we’re dumb. I feel like a lot of pop culture and mostly a lot of ladies out there goof on us like we’re a bunch of clueless, oblivious oafs, but we’re as varied as women in regards to intelligence, I’d say."
20. "Locker room talk. I have never experienced being in a group of guys talking graphically about their sex lives or their partners’ bodies. At most, you get a comment about how hot someone is, but definitely nothing nearly as explicit or graphic as I think most women have been led to believe (or, frankly, as graphic as I’ve heard my female friends discussing their sex lives or boyfriends' bodies)."
21. "That adult men can't like children in a non-predatory way. I’d seriously much rather hang out with your kid than you, probably."
22. "An erection does NOT mean he is consenting to sexual activity. Do not interpret it as such and always ask for verbal consent."
23. "That our work or career gives us a strong sense of identity and purpose."
And finally...
24. "That men want to work and stay outside all day and not take care of the kids. ... If you can make as much money or more than me, then by all means go ahead, and I will care for the kids."
Alright, now it's YOUR turn: What myths about being a man do you want to debunk? Call 'em out in the comments.
You can read the full thread of responses on Reddit.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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