No man is free from the following burden, and regardless of your age, nationality or culture, there will come a time when you'll have to accept it willingly, and proudly carry it upon your back, without complaining. And you'll be honorable for it.
Chaos exists all around us. Emotional breakdowns, tragedies, wars, deception, pain, sickness, death, treason, disappointment, failure, suffering. That’s the way of life. No amount of “safe spaces” is going to change that very basic truth. Regardless of how hard we fight against it, chaos has always and will always be there as a main component of existence.
No man or woman is ever so lucky as to go through life without being beat up by something.
And if you somehow manage to dodge all adversity thrown your way, there is a very real chance that those closest to you won’t be as lucky. And then it becomes your job to save them if needs be, and to be the voice of reason, to remain calm when all hell is breaking loose around you, and to lead the way forward towards the light. Why you, you ask? Why not wait for someone more capable to save us all? Well because it’s your goddamn job as a man to be a leader and a protector. If you're not capable enough, then get to it and become capable ASAP.
Social conditioning will tell you that it’s okay to “show your feelings” and cry when you feel sad, that if something goes wrong then you can always weep and yell and someone, somewhere, will fix your problem for you. But it won’t tell you that crying and screeching will help absolutely no one, that by giving in to emotion you’re letting everyone around you know that chaos has won. That you have been beaten, and that there is nothing that you can do to help them. You're abandoning your loved ones to their fate. Do not be that selfish. If you absolutely need to cry, cry alone and cry fast. Because there is no time for you to be weeping when your family or your friends need your calmness and your competence to solve a problem.
By giving in to emotion you’re letting everyone around you know that chaos has won. That you have been beaten, and that there is nothing that you can do to help them.
That’s the hardest job a man will ever have to do. To be a lighthouse standing still and composed, bringing order when chaos is at its strongest, guiding the lost boats that are desperately seeking for a safe shore to land on in the darkness. It’s a grueling and tough task to accomplish, for it requires you to sacrifice your own feelings for the sake of bringing peace to those that matter to you. It will also be a lonely road, for no one will know or understand your burden, and might even call you “insensible” for it.
Suck it up and do it for their sake.