Last night, my wife, Carlin, and I saw the movie Jo Jo Rabbit. It was moving and quirky and reminds me both of the horrors of the totalitarian/Dominator way in the world and our hope for a better future. I’ve recently written two articles on how we can create “the more beautiful world our hearts know...Continue reading
Category: Masculinity
6 Things You Don’t Know About Irritable Male Syndrome That Could Be Wrecking Your Relationship
Like most of the things I write about, Irritable Male Syndrome (IMS) comes from both my personal and professional experience. Professionally, I’ve counseled more than 25,000 individuals and couples who took my IMS quiz and recognized that male anger was a problem in their lives. Personally, IMS nearly destroyed my marriage. Here’s an excerpt from a letter...Continue reading
When It Comes to Stereotypes, Words Matter. A Lot.
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
Beards: The Secret to Success or the Kiss of Death?
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
Boys and Men in America Are Killing Themselves and No One Seems to Care
Men and boys continue to have a higher death rate in nine of the 10 leading causes of death. Why? To start with, the overall healthcare system is inherently unfriendly to males. And, in some health care situations men tell us they do not feel welcome at all. There are other systemic concerns, including insufficient...Continue reading
Forget About Whether Bigger Is Better: Is it Even Possible?
You may be convinced that you are not very well endowed in your private parts. Certainly, using the Internet to figure out where you stand on size won’t help you feel any better about yourself. And, you can always find someone who will promise to make you bigger and better in any number of ways....Continue reading
The Good Men Manifesto Part 2: The Evolutionary Importance of Males and Females
About Sex: The Evolutionary Importance of Males and Females There is a lot of confusion about what it means to be male or female these days. Masculinity today is maligned and misunderstood. Some believe maleness itself is inherently destructive and should be eliminated. Others view males as superfluous. This idea is reflected in the witticism,...Continue reading
The Good Men Manifesto: What I’ve learned Doing Men’s Work for 70 years, Part 1
There’s a lot of focus on men these days, much of it negative. Many are concerned about the harm men cause to women, children, and other men. Others are concerned about the problems men cause to themselves. My work over the years has been to help men answer three questions that we all need to...Continue reading
Why Every Man Needs a Men’s Group
My life was in turmoil. My marriage was in trouble. My two kids were suffering. I was very successful at work, but the stress was killing me. When I saw the flyer in Mill Valley I almost screamed. “Men, come and share a day with other men and hear psychologist Herb Goldberg, author of The Hazards...Continue reading
Young Men’s Body Image
As a female college student, I have participated in a fair number of conversations about body image and self-esteem. For many college women, these conversations revolve around how much they had to eat that day, that they cannot treat themselves for a while, or that they need to get back on the treadmill this semester....Continue reading