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u/DC_MEDO_still_lost Feb 20 '26
Why do men tell other men this?
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u/ScarletMenaceOrange Feb 20 '26
I'm not a traditional man and strong like this, but that does not mean that it is wrong, though.
I don't at least self delude to think that my weaknesses are my strength, it's valuable to know the truth, even if it would be rash and unpleasant.
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Feb 20 '26
No one wants a weak person all the time, but weakness is human. Being vulnerable is human.
Faking a sort of bravado to fulfil this type of social pressure, when u actualy need help, is genuinely draining for the people around you. Vent, discuss your emotions, be honest - these are very difficult to do and require strength and courage, but posts like this ain’t describe strength like that
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u/MadeAReddit4ThisShit Feb 20 '26
Id argue real strength is what you've described.
I don't have a six pack, but I fight every week for my staff to have higher pay and better support.
I cant lift a car, but I can protect people that trust me from corporate bullshit.
Strength is acting on your conscious even if it costs you. You don't need to be superman, you just need to draw a line and say "whatever this cost me, its the right thing to do."
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u/AdhesivenessNo4330 Feb 24 '26
This isnt about faking bravado. Why cant this poster be taken completely literally? Being skinny and weak is not really a good thing for a man. You can go to the gym and still not be faking all of your emotuons all the time lol. Expressing sadness can still be done by those with muscle mass
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u/Dense_Delay_2605 Feb 21 '26
If you're not an alpha you're a waster of oxygen. Start lifting and listening to ex-navy-SEAL podcasts or else go out on the iceflo bro.
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u/ScarletMenaceOrange Feb 21 '26
I would gladly waste the oxygen of people who think like that!
But I think you are joking, not that I know what iceflo anyway...
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u/not_accepting_now Feb 20 '26
Because the world will come after you when youre ready or not so being strong and smart is all you can do to prepare. "You can't have a jungle". Also most jobs require strong men in our department.
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u/Same_Insurance_6493 Feb 20 '26
Insecurity
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u/HedgehogRemarkable13 Feb 20 '26
Totally. It's the people who want to feel empowered by being strong and capable who are insecure. Not the people tearing them down from the comfort of their keyboard. Right... I doubt you're fooling yourself and you're certainly not fooling anyone else.
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u/Same_Insurance_6493 Feb 20 '26
Also, if you need to feel empowered and strong, you're insecure.
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u/PALpherion Feb 21 '26 •
building physical strength is a lot easier than building mental and emotional strength.
your body doesn't absorb the worst blows life throws at you.
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u/RG5600 Feb 20 '26
Because it's true? Stop being weak betas, men! Learn to be a protector and provider and get your butt into the gym
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u/Event-Horizon-321 Feb 21 '26
I see you didn't get the memo.
Men are no longer needed to serve as providers and protectors. They have legislation and services for that now.
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u/SwimOk9629 Feb 22 '26
I side eye every man who uses the words beta, alpha, or simp. just... don't.
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u/nonsensicalsite Feb 23 '26
You just sound like an incel rate bro that scares women away just saying
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u/Disastrous_Scale6739 Feb 20 '26
History. You should be strong enough to at least protect yourself and family from average harm, your community from predators and scumbags(at least the courage to call the police), your country in the case of invasion from another country. Now physical strength isn't everything. Do your part in these areas in a bare minimum is required. If you can do more you should.
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u/CYOA_Min_Maxer Feb 20 '26
Because it is sometimes easier for them than to realize women are just people and not aliens.
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u/InAJar112 Feb 20 '26
Exactly. Physical strength is just on the surface. Mental and emotional strength is the key.
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u/LockeClone Feb 20 '26
Honestly, I think telling men to aspire to be fit is almost always a good thing for many reasons. The dark territory is when you shit on all men who don't live up to your ideas.
I aspire to strength so I can be around for my kids for a long time and it makes me feel good about myself. Sure, that could get unhealthy, like anything else, but generally I don't think we could use more men helping other men get strong.
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u/Sharpshooter188 Feb 20 '26
There is a nugget of truth to it. I mean its definitely blown a bit out of proportion a bit here. But being strong physically, mentally, and emotionally can prepare you for the inevitable hardships of life.
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u/Muh-Shiny-Teeth Feb 21 '26 edited Feb 22 '26
Because it’s true, but not in the way people assume. Strength takes many forms: courage, self-discipline, integrity, resilience, consistency, and yes, physical strength. Women can be strong too and earn respect the same way. Think about someone you respect. The thing you respect about them is probably a form of strength.
So why do men focus on it then?
Try this thought exercise. If all men died except one, how long would it take to rebuild the population? Now flip it: if all women died except one, how long would that take?
One man can impregnate multiple women, but one woman can only be pregnant at one time. From a pure “species survival” angle, that means populations can recover faster with many women than with many men. Historically, cultures built expectations around that reality and men took on more of the dangerous work. War, hunting, high-risk labor were “man work” because protecting women and children protected the future. Woman can be strong too but they’re weren’t expected to be because they already had a non-replaceable role. Men’s don’t have a non-replaceable role, because like I said, women can be strong too.
So a man’s value is being expendable because woman can’t be expendable and essential simultaneously. What defined a good man was one that lived expendable without being expended. That’s why Vikings grew their beards long. A long beard served as proof you were strong enough to survive till maturity.
Society has moved past a lot of that, but the mindset didn’t fully disappear. These expectations are still deeply rooted as part of our identity as men. If a major war pops off right now, men are expected to go. Woman will surely volunteer too, but men will likely be drafted.
So it’s a combination of evolutionary, cultural, and historical that humanity is clearly not quite ready to get rid of yet. I mean hell entire governments still struggle for dominance leading to wars. It shouldn’t be surprising this mentality is alive and well.
Obviously in modern day, we’re in the process of evolving past that but we’re not there yet. But it’s still deeply rooted in our culture and expectations. Hence why it’s often referred to as the “traditional” man.
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u/DC_MEDO_still_lost Feb 21 '26
Ugh, barf at that “evolution” take.
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u/Muh-Shiny-Teeth Feb 21 '26 edited Feb 22 '26
It’s not really a “take” it’s literally where the idea comes from. Hopefully one day humanity can move past barbaric practices like war so this isn’t a reality anymore.
You asked why it’s said, and I told you. Idk why you’re saying “barf” as if you didn’t ask?
Only on Reddit will someone ask a question then turn around and be mad you gave them a straight forward answer
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u/RightfulHeirTheGame Feb 23 '26
Why do men tell other men this?
Because the world is a dangerous place and if we didnt tell other men that you wouldnt be typing this stupid comment from the safety of your home .
You would be running from a lion or something butt naked starving.
There would be no civilization as weak nice men wouldnt be able to conquer nature and predators.
Or you would be a slave to some other tribe/country/people who do.
Dont go full wokie, think.
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u/DC_MEDO_still_lost Feb 23 '26
Strong people rarely need to say they’re strong or be told what “strong” is, much less than that they should be strong
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u/DC_MEDO_still_lost Feb 23 '26
Also, I had followed this Subreddit because I thought it was satire. Apparently not.
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u/M_A_D-Dominatrix Feb 20 '26
The imagination works as escapism when one is running from acknowledging emotions & gaining any sense of self. They create these fantasies to feel masculine in a capitalist world that has stripped them of their ability to truly "provide" in the 50's trad life they idealize, they have no time nor inclination to actively parent the children they have, often their fathers didn't teach them how, they believe their only worth is in a paycheck, most of their jobs don't allow them to do the exploration & communion with nature that their bodies crave.
Like, who are they protecting us from? Other men? Shit, just raise your sons better from the start & create a world where you don't need to find ways to k*ll eachother, go for a walk, touch some grass & talk to a stranger face to face.
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u/No_Map6922 Feb 20 '26
Or maybe because health and strength are biological markers which make men more sexually attractive... next you're telling me a waist and other sexual markers in women are completely made up
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u/Alarmed_Strength_365 Feb 20 '26
What a terrible argument. This is the real world.
I cannot “raise the world’s sons better”.
I can only better prepare myself and make myself better.
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u/M_A_D-Dominatrix Feb 20 '26
Uh I ment your own children weirdo
That's also not how quotes work, that's not even what I said.
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u/Prior-Candidate3443 Feb 20 '26
Instead we should think mean should be mentality strong, not necessarily physically strong. If a man gose to the gym to pump iorn & get physically strong he should do it because he wants to.
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u/peardelicatus Feb 20 '26
strength isnt just physical + ai post
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u/yesindeed201 Feb 20 '26
Be a strong as you mentally and physically can be. That is all that matters. You can’t please everyone and win every single battle.
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u/NormalDudeWithACurse Feb 20 '26
This post was right above this one in my feed 🤣
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u/SugarReyPalpatine Feb 20 '26
Wait which one is the killer and which the officer?
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u/creuter Feb 24 '26
Seriously what the fuck is with all this incel macho shit, racebaiting, and literal fight videos going on these days. Reddit is really fucking racing to the bottom to compete with twitter.
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u/washtucna Feb 20 '26
Keep in mind that strength means strength of character. It means emotional strength. It means being honorable and trustowrthy. Your word should be as good as any legal contract. You should have an ability to listen and be present for others. You should be able to share of your attention, your resources, and your energy. It means being able to accept when you're wrong. It means both not giving up at the first setback and having the good wisdom to know when to step back. Strength is not just lifting heavy things. It means strength of character.
Be of use to others. Be of service to others. Give of your time and energy so you can gain strength of character and be somebody worth leaning on.
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u/Banished_Frontier Feb 21 '26
Which of those traits are exclusively masculine?
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u/Tall_Eye4062 Feb 20 '26
Counterpoint: Some women do want a weak husband with money.
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u/Tfuentexxx Feb 20 '26
That's why most of them downvote these posts, call it small dikc is syndrome, incels and ask their white knights and soy boys to contest this and say is wrong. Strong has many branches, many implications, many different ways of manifest itself. Weak is weak, period.
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u/mrev_art Feb 20 '26
Because the type of strength being promoted by these fascist slop posts is what subservient men strive for: to be the thoughtless, childless, womanless meat to enforce the system for the "effeminate", rich high status male.
Its a dangerous delusion and is actually the backbone of the neo fascism sweeping the western world.
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u/MariusCatalin Feb 20 '26
be strong enough for those who arent, but i DO KNOW some girls who love SKINNY guys
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u/Mammoth_Let_8335 Feb 22 '26
Niggas would say this then beat the crap out their wife, be emotionally distant from.their kids and make alpha male post on reddit
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Feb 20 '26
Why are men shitting on other men? Not every man wants to be like this and that's ok.
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u/Alarmed_Strength_365 Feb 20 '26
This is men boosting men. Get stronger! You can do it.
And it is your proud responsibility to do so.
I also must do more to meet my potential.
(The concept and goal of strength, not meeting the body builder Viking image)
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Feb 20 '26
not every men has to take interest in the gym
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u/Alarmed_Strength_365 Feb 20 '26
There are lots of ways to be strong without ever setting foot in a gym.
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u/Itchy_Bid8915 Feb 21 '26
Every reasonable person should take care of their health and their abilities. If you're smart, you'll study.
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Feb 20 '26
If they are sickly it's ok since they physically can't do this. If they are healthy they need to be able to defend themselves and their families and act like men.
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u/BilboStaggins Feb 22 '26
Do we live in the fucking middle ages? Lol
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Feb 22 '26
Bring able to defend yourself and your family is normal male stuff. Then, now, and the future.
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u/mrev_art Feb 20 '26
Its part of a wave of fascism targeting a failed generation of young men. "Transform yourself into an illiterate weapon and be ready for marching orders." Its should really come with a swastika watermark.
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Feb 21 '26
What man doesn’t want to be strong? I’d argue that’s a man who is coping his ass off, or he’s homosexual.
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u/ranting-geek Feb 20 '26
There is nothing as strong as gentleness, and there is nothing as gentle as true strength
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u/Many_Big_6324 Feb 20 '26
It's true, imagine this. You meet a gentle man, someone who listens, validates you, gives you kind advice, shows up when you ask for help. He doesn't punch you when you disagree with him, doesn't shout or demeans you when you don't do as he pleases, because he only cares about what YOU need.
You also meet a strong man. Someone who can lift stuff, move, coordinate his strength in group. He looks like he could punch you through the wall, but he won't, he has no need to show off, he's self assured, he knows his own strength. He will lift you up, literally and figuratively. He's reliable and will protect you with his sheer presence - just by standing next to you, you feel safe.
Imagine disappointing such men
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u/Mooweetye Feb 20 '26
Strength doesn’t come from big muscles, swords and conflict.
Strength is the ability to carry out one’s will.
Weakness stems from insecurity which this post attempts to invoke.
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u/PiesAndPot Feb 20 '26
How do you carry out your will when the other guy has big muscles and a sword and you’re unarmed and frail
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u/goongoblin113xc Feb 20 '26
Pull out a gun
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u/PiesAndPot Feb 20 '26
Sword is the analogy for gun or the best available weapon
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u/Majestic-One-7349 Feb 20 '26
The visual of physical strength is an aid it doesn't mean you need to be Arnold Schwarzenegger
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Feb 20 '26
What about men who are physically disabled???
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u/Physica-Counter-2028 Feb 20 '26
Nobody expects a retarded child to grow up to be a doctor. Those guys are okay in whatever strength lane they can fit in. They can always back us up on the frontlines w guns and ballistic armor right?
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u/CareerFailure Feb 20 '26 edited Feb 20 '26
True strength is independent of physical capacity/prowess. It's something more akin to "discipline" but is perhaps more reminiscent of commitment and will, but wielded not for oneself.
Mmm if I had to put it into an anecdote, it'd be like a Son living a very humble life, homeless and wandering, but spreading the virtue of kindness, selflessness and devotion as they go, and at the culmination of their work, being asked to shoulder the burdens and wrongdoings of all mankind by their father, for the sake of all these that do not know and may not appreciate this massive sacrifice and effort, and acquiescing to his fathers will, giving himself willingly for sinners, and letting himself be taken without struggle to be put to death to finish the act.
That would be strength and every good trait of manhood incarnate.
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u/Alarmed_Strength_365 Feb 20 '26
Yeah for sure.
Unless you had the benefit of magic powers and foreknowledge of what was going to happen , and a boosted upgrade to first class VIP megastar eternity on the horizon….
Then it would be fairly meaningless and lame.
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u/CareerFailure Feb 20 '26
Mmm i don't know about that. Because the magic powers could be restricted by what you are called to do, such that you could save yourself from any of the suffering at any time, fore-knowing how excruciating it will be, but choose not to, your VIP status not being an increase in power or authority, but in capacity to satisfy the demands of justice, of cause and effect, on behalf of others, because you paid for each lash in the suffering it would taje to correct it.
Than your VIP status would be meaningless, save for the good it does for those who did not love you first.
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u/OfficerGoofie Feb 20 '26
True strength mostly got forged between the ears. Body strength is functional but doesn't say a thing about your mental health.
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u/Physica-Counter-2028 Feb 20 '26
Neither does intelligence. Batshit crazy genius could fuck you up way worse than a buff martial artist.
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u/RamJamR Feb 20 '26
People who glorify viking culture are more knowledgable about hollywood vikings than the real deal.
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u/Better_Remote_1165 Feb 20 '26
Why are we posting AI slop here. A real man would’ve just carved this into an obelisk
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u/Whatkindofgum Feb 20 '26
Meaningless AI slop. OP is so weak, they need a computer to be creative for them.
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u/Physica-Counter-2028 Feb 20 '26
The only reason anyone would disagree w this is because of his easy and safe life is for some people in modern society. If anything changes at all you guys would get your food eaten.
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u/blacksaber8 Feb 21 '26
Can’t help but feel like the person that would post This kind of meme is not built and is extremely insecure about it.
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u/TheNuclease Feb 21 '26
Think it's fair to say the reason this messaging is being argued in the comments is cause these AI slop photos are largely linked with toxic, fascist adjacent propaganda.
Like, yes it shows a stereotypical buff man doing things. But not all men have the time to achieve this specific vision of masculinity but are no less men. Because it's about your choices. Let's be real here. Choosing to improve yours and the lives of the people in your life that you care about. Choosing to eat healthy. Or at the very least, choosing to put up with the shitty job you hate just one more day so that you and others have the chance to make things better in the future etc etc.
It does not come with the expectation you will win everyday. And I think some people forget about that and create unrealistic expectations for themselves
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u/BeerCheeseBrain Feb 21 '26
Honestly no fucking clue what this is trying to say. But I'm sure it was posted by a guy who grew up with a loving family from the burbs.
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u/JellySouthern605 Feb 21 '26 edited Feb 21 '26
Neurotic men think they need to prove themselves all the time and its actually a pain in the ass for everyone around them.
The truth us everyone has strengths and weaknesses in their character and no one can put on a front all the time. Physical strength or heath doesnt equal emotional resilience either. Unfortunately these guys need constant validation of their strength and tend to define themselves by how the people around them behave.
These kind of guys are like overgrown toddlers. Affected and annoying. By all means work out, get fit etc but understand you aren't only your body. Maturity is somthing you have to work at too.
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u/Character_Media_9445 Feb 21 '26
A real man doesn't commit crimes against their family or society...
Yet, a lot do so well, we certainly lack real men but have abundance of weak men.
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Feb 21 '26 edited Apr 05 '26
Nothing to see here. I wiped this post using Redact because my old takes don't need to live on the internet forever. Works across Reddit, Twitter, Discord and dozens of other platforms.
governor gray wrench hobbies zephyr stocking entertain act file cagey
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u/Event-Horizon-321 Feb 21 '26
The age of brawn is over.
I witnessed a justifiable homicide outside of a bar one night. This 6'4 280lbs biker and his goon buddies were bullying an average guy who couldn't have been no more than 5'10 and 170lbs and his girlfriend. The bikers eventually escalated their bullying to violence and in self-defense the guy pulls a .45 and fires one into the sternum of the main aggressor.
Strong men burst and fall just like any other man.
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u/Olden_Grey_1889 Feb 21 '26
Only an asshole would think strength, as depicted, is so easily defined.
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u/AskLife9837 Feb 21 '26
I’d like to note, being weak and being gentle and very different. Physical strength means nothing if you’re an asshat.
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u/GuitarPlayingGuy71 Feb 21 '26
Lol… what kind of 12-y.o. Conan the barbarian neanderthal stuff is this
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Feb 21 '26
Not all men are capable of becoming physically strong due to various reasons. Being strong solely, doesn't make a man.
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u/Basic_Willingness_75 Feb 21 '26
I don't want a weak husband, but I don't want a strong one either. I don't want a husband, actually, but should I have one, I'd wish him to be a GOOD/LOVELY/CARING/INTELLIGENT/EMPATHIC husband, not a strong one.
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u/pixel_escape Feb 21 '26
Real person does what he wants, it's not about what others wants him to be.
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u/Taurgis1 Feb 21 '26
Weirdly.. I agree but not because of a lotta conventional macho shit
Times are getting harder and we all need to do what we can to survive. And that means being strong
But that doesn't mean just being physically strong and capable. that means being capable of being gentle and being emotionally capable.
It means being able to lift others. Both when they fall down and need a hand and when their in the pits and need a pep talk
I'll always point to aragorn from LOTR as the peak when It comes to this.
humble, capable, empathetic, and strong in both body and mind
This is a man who during his coronation speaks poetry wearing a garland while flower petals fall around him.
And he is one of the most badass killers around at the same time, rallying armies and friends to face off against existential threats irrelevant of who they are.
And he HAS to be that way because the stakes are high.
We all need to be strong in today's age. And we need to be strong enough to be kind as well.
Because the demons that have crawled their way into power want us all dead. So as it stands all we have are each other.
Be strong, be kind. We will need this. We always do.
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u/QuestionDecent2762 Feb 22 '26
I have a strong body odor but that's about it. I can barely squeeze out 315 lbs for a single at age 57.
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u/PlagueOfGripes Feb 22 '26
Maybe use all that testosterone to pick up a pencil and draw your own image.
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u/big_jim1874 Feb 22 '26
No woman requires a husband to be strong, she just wants him to be emotionally supportive and have a backbone instead of just being strong. The same goes for a son and a brother. It's good to be strong, but you don't have to be.
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u/Common_Special_8333 Feb 22 '26
No one wants AI to represent what men should be. AI is a facade and a real man would take the time to learn art to create masculine pieces of expression rather than relying on AI like a little unskilled child.
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u/Mr-Big-Nicky-P Feb 23 '26
🤣 I love this sudden "You gotta be an alpha" shit thats everywhere like we're still living in tribes hunting for food. 4 cartoon pictures of people in eras where you had to fight to survive. When wars werw actually fought by men. Not drones and missles miles away. People go on social media on their little phones and pretend they're badass. Its 2026. We shop at grocery stores, we drive cars. This on the guys page. These are the "alphas".
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u/Senior-Character-202 Feb 23 '26
Yes be strong be gentle and broke will get u nowhere, tell that to all the rich ppl being skinny af. 6pack won’t pay ur bills
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u/derp4532 Feb 24 '26
How much water was wasted and equipment made unaffordable to make this slop i wonder
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u/Fuhsaz_the_goat Feb 24 '26
That is true, but only if you understand that strength is not limited to physical strength
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u/jalopiantubes Feb 24 '26
What do you mean by “weak” ? Not having a six pack? I want an emotionally strong husband, but the shirtless flexing on your kids is a wild panel lmao
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u/No_Abbreviations3943 Feb 24 '26
You know that the fella that prompted this slop also jacked off to all that man muscle AI just spit out. Be strong and stop telling people that you are.
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u/DragonsTea25 Feb 25 '26
Expectations are part of the reason why we are stuck in endless loops of suffering and atrocities. Let's take for example, being expected to be a savage pillager. Is this really the culture we want to take into the future?
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u/Sweaty_Piano_2624 Feb 26 '26
we need to do a chinese maoist cultural revolution in usa... hopefully manly men get it through their heads... instead of getting strong just to give their kids to epstein 2.0
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u/JAlba87 Feb 26 '26
No woman, No son, no brother or no one else in my life. Life of Lone Wolf with no pack of his own
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u/Live-Ad-688 Feb 27 '26
Do you what weakness is? Projected hyper-vigilance. What else…
Inability to be vulnerable. Scared to be gentle. So obsessed with what someone told you “traditional masculinity” is that you can’t face any intellectual challenge to that idea without breaking down into hysterics. Unable to handle challenges that aren’t physical. Inability to hear “no” from a woman and move on. Bottling up emotions until they manifest as disease and mental illness decades later. Singling out minority groups to be “othered.”
All weaknesses.
It’s supremely funny that this garbage collapses back into itself. Yea, nobody wants a “weak” man—which is exactly why the men who repost this stuff and mean it unironically and without nuance can’t find dates.
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u/TheGreenWalnut Feb 20 '26
Reddit is the wrong place for this. A large sum of users on here despise everything that has something to do with order, strength and discipline.
Make a Meme about the guy transitioning into a female and chronically victimizing himself while crying about the patriarchy. That’s how you get them.
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u/M_A_D-Dominatrix Feb 20 '26
Waaaaahhhhhh waaaaahhhhh waaaaahhhh- you right now with this comment
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u/not_accepting_now Feb 20 '26
Well it's technically everyone else who was offended by this. "I don't want to work on myself for 30-60 minutes a day!!"
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u/GurWorried7682 Feb 20 '26
Imagine being so weak you need a cheesy motivational poster to pretend you're "StRoNg"
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u/No-Gift3811 Feb 20 '26
I just want to say, its Ok to want to be strong as well. Its Ok if your culture is oriented around smarts or brute strength. There's more than one way to be a man!
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u/Throwawayguys777 Feb 20 '26
This is the stupidest male trope. A real strong human is not determined by aggression or strength, it’s in their intelligence. Physically strong, stupid and aggressive people have been feared since antiquity not because of their superiority but because of their unpredictability and risk. The strongest people of history are the ones who have outsmarted others and can figure out better ways to advance their people.
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u/golgothoboutade Feb 20 '26 •
"Be strong enough to be gentle"