Wear less. Think more.

Dylan

"The way I see it, I think toxic masculinity is a collection of ideas and values which purports to be only measures of what it means to be masculine. I believe projecting your own values onto others is inherently foolish, in general."

Sam

"After a quick online search, it wasn't hard to find that the google definition of 'masculinity' is "qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of men." Sure, this makes sense, but to me, perhaps another question that we could answer together is "What does it mean to be a man?""

Adrian

"I feel like my definition of masculinity has changed significantly over the years. I am currently in my late 20's and I can say without doubt that I had a very different perspective on masculinity finishing high school. This was a time when I was started using social media frequently and the time I was introduced to the gym. Why did I join the gym? Because I was skin and bones leaving high school and men are meant to be big and muscular right?"

Guy

"A lot of the time, feeling masculine is simply based on perception, in the sense of 'I think others see this action/event as masculine/not very masculine, therefore that's what it is'. There's a lot more to masculinity than having a pumped-up chest and drinking beers. Being mature, making thoughtful and responsible decisions, a lot of the time without anyone else even knowing you're doing the right thing, but doing it for the right reasons and definitely without the ego or self-praise is to me, non-toxic masculinity."

Michael

"When I was a child, there was always a certain way I thought boys and men were expected to act. I always felt pressured to act in that way to avoid being made fun of, but I never felt like I was very good at it."

Stuart

"Non-toxic masculinity for me is simply about being yourself and being true to who you are as a person and being proud of who you are. I am a 33 year old separated and divorced Father with 2 beautiful young children. Since I was 16-17 years old I always seemed to struggle with my mental health, particularly around the loss of relationships. In the past I would do the traditional "man" thing and hide my feelings, thoughts and emotions the best I could. I am now very open with my own battles and sharing my story in the hope that it can help others."

Koby

"Not being able to feel things on a sensitive level."

Tom

"What speaks to me about non-toxic masculinity is the focus on treating people with respect, supporting those around you, and being a positive influence in the lives of others. To me, it means building healthy relationships, caring for friends, family, and community, and not putting yourself above other people."

Nathan

"Non-toxic Masculinity to me is having the confidence/courage to be your true self. It's being able to express yourself while still being conscious of the others around you. Being dependable enough to know that the people you share your life with know that they have you to fall on even though it may not be asked of you. It's knowing that life comes with its ups and downs but having the resilience to keep a positive outlook."

Pieter

"True masculinity, to me, comes from the heart, unlike ego-driven or toxic masculinity."