Are you a “white lie” guy? Do you tell your mother that her meatloaf is delicious when it really isn’t? Have you ever said, “No, officer…I have no idea how fast I was going…” or “Things would have gone so different if I had been there…”? How about, “Oh yea, I remember you…” As long...Continue reading
A few days ago, I heard a young father telling his son—who was probably around 10 or 11—to “man up.” I started thinking about that phrase and wondered about all the gender stereotyping we do without even realizing it. Are expressions like “man up” harmless parts of or language or do they make a difference?...Continue reading
On November 21, 2019, I celebrated the birth of my son, Jemal. He turned 50 years old. At the moment he was born and I held him for the first time, I made a promise that I would be a better father than my father was able to be for me. I also vowed to...
Dear Mr. Dad: My 14-year-old daughter seems to believe that she needs to start dating. She says “all of her friends” are doing it, and feels left out. Fourteen just seems too young. I don’t think anyone—boy or girl—should start ‘til at least 16. I want to tell her “over my dead body” but I...Continue reading
In life, there are opportunities taken and opportunities missed. The same is true in men’s health. The way men are built, they typically don’t come face to face with medical care unless their lives are threatened, or they’re in pain. The latest Cleveland Clinic survey pretty much sums this up: Over 60% of men neglect seeing a...Continue reading
Loneliness kills. According to former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, isolation and weak social connections “are associated with a reduction in lifespan similar to that caused by smoking fifteen cigarettes a day and even greater than that associated with obesity.” Even when it’s not fatal, loneliness makes life a lot less pleasant. We’ll talk about...Continue reading
I’ve known Michael Gurian for more than thirty years. We met at one of the early men’s gatherings in 1990 and I’ve gotten to know him quite well over the years. He is one of the world’s foremost gender experts and has pioneered efforts to bring neuro-biology and brain research into homes, schools, corporations, and...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad, My 12-year-old daughter is a liar. I wish it weren’t true, but just about everything that comes out of her mouth is a lie. If she tells me she’s texting a girl from school, it’s probably a boy. If I ask whether she’s cleaned her room, she’ll look me straight in the...Continue reading
OK, the vasectomy reversal worked and your gun is loaded again. But you’re still not conceiving. What’s up with that? Consider blaming the epididymis. The epi-what-a-mis? It’s a small, comma-shaped organ down there whose life was altered after the vasectomy. It used to help fertility, but the vasectomy changed all that.Continue reading
Dear Healthy Men: Do women really find men with beards more attractive than clean-shaven guys? A: According to the old story, in 1860, Abraham Lincoln grew a beard in response to a suggestion from an 11-year-old girl who said it would make him a more attractive presidential candidate. She was right. About 140 years later, another...Continue reading