A manly man hides his feelings because he is afraid what others will think. If I care for someone or appreciate something they have done I tell them.
A manly man hides his feelings from himself. He will feel certain emotions, and then deny to himself he felt them because "that is not manly." He will not allow himself to explore the inner most feelings within himself. I mentally put myself in another person’s shoes and honestly try to imagine what they are going through. To thine own self be true.
A manly man will not improve his appearance because it isn’t manly to do anything a woman does. He can have eyebrows like a camel, and will refuse to let the barber trim them. I try to maintain mine for personal appearance because I face these types of fears.
My SO knows I do not put on a front. She knows she can share her inner most secrets with me, and I will actually listen and respond with feelings. I will support her in the best way I can without worrying about losing my manly status. She also knows I trust her with my inner most secrets. We shop for cloths, makeup, jewelry, shoes, and just about any girly item girlfriends shop for together. She knows my emotional side like no one else ever has. She also knows me well enough to know that if any manly type task needs doing I can and will handle it.
I think most of us here are not manly men, we are much more.
