I think they do. Men are human beings with emotions and insecurities, just like women. Men can be insecure about their looks, physique, hairdo, height, weight, the size of their package (lol), etc. However, now I'm not trying to side with any gender or anything, but I do feel that women have always been pressurised to look almost perfect. You can see it in the media, ads, everywhere. There will always be ads with models in them targeting women that they need this cream to look fair and attract the opposite sex, they need this shampoo to have silky smooth lustrous hair, they should join this gym to get that hot body. Sure men are told so as well, but if you really think about it, most of the pressure has always been on women since te very beginning. Women since the beginning of time have been expected to look like vessels of beauty that can entice men and hence be successful. *rolls eyes* Even where I live, women are supposed to look gorgeous when proposals are coming for them, and that guy can look however, but he'll still get the girl and noone will tell him he needs grooming as much as they'll tell the bride-to-be. Similarly, skincare has always been a must for women, the trend has only recently started for men, hence showing that men are now pressurised to have good skin whereas women have always been pressurised into having it. Also, many people view women as this "object of beauty" where she's always expected to look like a young, amazing, hot woman whereas, for some people she is supposed to "define beauty". For a woman, her complexion, skin, hair, face, body, breasts, every single feature till her last toenail is scrutinised and criticised upon. And it doesn't help when the media is trying to shove these gorgeous, filthy rich, well-looked after, trained, photoshopped celebrities down our throats and then the same men fall prey to their "beauty" and ask us why we don't look like that. Gosh, I could write a whole book about this. This is all unfortunate but it's the bitter truth.
Yes, 100% we do, but society doesn't give a shit about how men feel or the negatives that happen to us.
Women do the majority of spending and women are more likely to give money to female causes than male causes, therefore marketing towards women makes more sense financially.
I look at myself every morning telling myself I can do better. That I can improve on eating healthier. There came a point where I started to put myself down because I couldn’t think of anything else to do to make myself better
Yes. But not nearly as much as women. It's kinda like trying to compare apples and oranges. Men and women have distinctive advantages and distinctive struggles. Can't measure them on the exact same scale.
It's just based on what the other gender finds attractive. That's where the insecurities are going to lie.
I'm sure a lot of guys feel insecure about being too skinny or too fat. But, I don't think it's as common with men as it is with women, due to our opposite preferences.
I think guys stress more about their position in life, their career, how much money they have, how many friends they have, whether they are charismatic, their personality, how good they are with women, whether they are a leader, etc. Because those are what women generally find attractive. They don't care about bodies that much. I'm lean and shredded, but a lot of women don't even care.
Likewise, men have less stress to look good, because that isn't a high priority, for women. It's a plus, but not as important as it is for men. Whereas, women have a lot of stress to look good, but they don't have a lot of stress to be funny or intelligent or educated or have a good career or have money in the bank. Because men don't care about those.
Yes, especially when we get older. Everyone has SOME insecurities when you are compared to people you see on TV... actors, athletes, TV personalities, etc.. WHen you're young you can add muscle, lose weight, change your hair style, all to at least some degree. Its when you're older, hair starts thining, harder to keep weight off, sometimes "things" don't work like they did when you were in 20's & 30's and we're not as confident just ripping off the shirt when its warm, at the beach or in the park. Women by nature have very appealing figures even if they think they're too thin or too hefty... even woman in their 50's+ where as men lose testorone, which means muscle tone reduction (or you just have to work A LOT harder at it than you did before) thining hair, endurance, etc.. We get grey and its accepted, but only to a certain degree--same with wrinkles. The best way to overcome insecurities about your body is to be a natural, fun loving, easy & outgoing person with a charming, humorous and most importantly CONFIDENT ( not cocky) personality. THAT will overcome ANY physical shortcomings to the person of the opposite sex.
Well, probably not the same in the sense of them wanting bigger boobs, longer hair, bigger lips etc lol. But I'm sure many guys feel insecure over not having "enough" muscles, having acne, not being tall "enough" etc. People in general tend to battle with their own insecurities. While it's not as common for men to have eating disorders for example, some of them still get them, and I do believe a lot of them have really unhealthy mindsets regarding how often they should work out and how much they should "bulk up".
Yeah it's true we experience them just as much as women. It's just a bit different since it is about different things. I mean like women we do worry about stuff like our weigh and our general appearance. But us guys also deal with stuff that women don't really have to, same way as with women deal with stuff men don't have to. Like we have to deal with issues with our hight, we deal with issues involving penis size, we deal with being able to gain muscle mass, issues to do with body hair such as not being able to grow facial hair or going bald or having a hairy body. These are all body image issues that men have to deal with that usually women don't.
Definitely. As a man in today's world I think there's almost as much, if not as much, pressure to be fit and muscular, as there is for women to be thin. But I think we hide it better because it's more acceptable to poke fun at a man's weight, and so therefore we have to learn to brush it off or laugh at it. This doesn't mean that we aren't self-conscious, or that it doesn't bother us. Many of these guys have demanding jobs that make it hard to go to the gym. It works the other way too in the sense that I know some smaller guys that are insecure about their small frame. They eat like crazy, but their metabolism is so fast that they can't put on weight and therefore can't be as muscular as other guys. They are get called "little" which is emasculating, because most women want a man who is bigger than they are. I don't think men sit around and cry about it, but plenty of men are VERY insecure about their bodies
No. Women's insecurities are amplified and re-amplified by society and the media. Don't get me wrong, I'm not whining about the media - confidence comes from within. But men can be skinny or chubby and still be successful, and no one will make a negative comment about them. Women can be successful and literally have it all, and her appearance will be a question regardless. For example, extremely talented actresses are asked what designer made their dress or have comments made about their bodies when male actors do not.
Using my guy friends and brother as references , yes men are just as insecure as women. Usually things like body type , skin tone , hairstyle , dimples, even the length of thier leg hair is up for questioning, and of course how they are perceived in the eyes of the public. By the way , guys appreciate compliments moreso than women do because getting a compliment from someone who isn't a family member or a friend , is a rarity for a guy.
I will totally agree that a random compliment outside of friends and family feel great! and yes it is a rarity.
I don't know if this is the case for other guys as well, but I also have not had too many girlfriends who gave me a lot of compliments either, in terms of you look handsome, or things like that. I mean I would definitely get the occasional "you're so sweet" comment but I would take that as more of a she's saying thank you and she really likes it kinda way. I would give my ex's far more compliments than I ever got from them. THATs not to rag on them or anything, at the time they did love me and they showed it in other ways, but still, sometimes words of affirmation are nice lol.
Also validation. For example "I like when you do x"
I say that to women. I wouldn't mind more of that in return from a woman.
Also this may sound odd but I really enjoy going on a date she planned or joint plan. It can be difficult to always have a plan and the pressure is always on for it to be good.
That doesn't sound odd at all. Don't get me wrong, I'm a hopeless romantic and I love planning dates or special things for my S. O. BUT I would love it if (when I have one lol) she would do the same for me. She doesn't have to like do it all the time but at least show enough effort that you care enough about me to want to put in the time to plan something with me or for me. I can totally sympathize with what you're saying there. With a lot of my ex's I won't lie, I always felt like I was the one doing the majority of the work, except for one. she made just as much effort as I did, just in different ways.
@KenM9215 and @KAF87 , thanks for confirming what my guy friends tell me. I don't think you have to be female to enjoy a few compliments. Exactly , my one friend said his girlfriend didn't really give him compliments just things like "you look nice " which is kind of generalised, you could say the same thing to a passing stranger. Yeah usually when I say a guy is sweet it is another way of saying thank you. I totally agree with you girls need to make more of an effort in general (like the validation you mentioned) and try planning a date for once too. Funny thing is girls always talk about how hot a guy is or brag about him with thier friends but just don't verbalise that infront of guys. *Note: I'm not saying all girls are like this or that all guys would appreciate more effort or validation it's just a general observation. *
It's an excellent observation, and I agree completely.
While I still observe chivalry, and a lot of traditional gender roles, I do hope that as gender roles loose significance in this generation, that some of these issues go away.
@somewheresomeway well for now feminazis are still called extreme feminists not sure how you are going to change it to egalitarian , although that really would be more true to the feminazi character.
You should consider it :). Some feminists get all uppity when they hear the phrase “egalitarian” because it negates the “I’m equal but special” identity they want to cling on to. Real equality means real responsibilities too.
I'm going to have to disagree a little here. The sexs will never be equal in all things. There are things women are better at then men and vice versa. I also tend to hold women on a higher pedestal, especially my girlfriend. It may be chauvinistic, but I am naturally inclined to protect the opposite sex. (I'm not alone in this)
I think a large part of this is nurture, the genders are raised differently. Young girls playing with toy babies, etc, may make them more interested in being mothers later. Even still, regardless of upbringing the sexs view the world differently. This is the core difference, and it's why we have such a difficult time understanding each other. It's also why there are so many GAG questions about how the other sex thinks.
I think both sexs deserve to be treated equally, but they are unique in their own ways. That uniqueness is something to be cherished.
@KAF87 you also have a valid point. It is not chauvinism and many women are still happy to be protected by their partner. I believe gender roles are slowly becoming obsolete. There is an increase in gender neutral parenting , wherein a child is raised without a confirmed gender identity , they then later decide for themselves whether they are male or female. Herein can lie the debate of whether the sexes differing thought patterns occur in nature or by nurture. You say nature , but universally girls are raised in a certain way and boys are raised in a certain way so perhaps cultural influences have something to do with how the sexes think. There is no denying that men and women are vastly different to eachother but they could be given equal rights as you say.
I think they struggle with insecurities equally, but their ''problems'' are different. Women feel insecure about their weight the most, while men (in my opinion at least) care more about their height and penis size.
Nope. they have different insecurities most men are insecure about their hair , height and body size , that is the most Nice you are asking great questions lately :)
From what I've seen, girls worry more about their bodes that do guys. Yes, guys do have insecurities, such as am I tall enough, have enough muscle, good looking or dick size. But over all, guys have less body insecurity, as society puts less pressure on guys to look a certain way, or to look attractive enough.
Yes, meeting women's standards of being tall, financially stable, athletic, and, on certain occasions, white makes it really difficult for certain people. 2 of these standards are difficult to change and the other 2 are outright impossible to change. Online dating is even worse because no matter how hard you try to change your appearance the best you can be, you may only get a few matches a week. Even then, most women don't even respond back.
Kind of. I'm not sure whether I'd call it insecurity but there are certain things I probably dislike, but then I just use it as motivation to train harder and improve. I don't think that complaining about it or letting it bother you too much does you any favours.
hi in the uk we are starting to see media ads aimed at men lets say face creams, however, these guys are good looking middle aged... funny that cos women in wrinkle cream ads are like 20... i think men are being more exposed than ever but its still new and only if they take a stance of not liking it can both genders stop it xx
Only if they are self aware. Many are not. I know my boyfriend, watching himself on video, noticed some stuff he has not noticed looking in the mirror. And commented on it all. But women are much more aware, most often overly so, and focused on self perceived flaws.
I don't know it it is the same insecurities, but I think a lot of men feel insecure about their bodies. Whether it's height, penis size, how muscular they are, male pattern baldness, feeling too fat, or too skinny...
Some men abuse steroids. Many men work out more than is probably strictly necessary. Some men get tattoos up and down their necks - or even on their faces. Some men get hair plugs.
So yeah, it's not like men don't worry about how they look.
How's this for an answer: due to the insecurities I have, I won't even reply with a meaningful answer if not given the option to be anon, because despite the fact I'll never see any of you IRL, and your opinions on my body don't actually matter, the insecurities I have run deep enough that I refuse to even discuss them, with my name attached to my post.
Yeah, there are body issues. I think it's gotten more obvious... and worse for men.
We have to compete more. Not only do we have to have a great body, but we have to be tall, good looking, have a good job with a steady income, but not be "too busy" it's too much for me in my life right now.
No, they don't. Judging by the number of fancy jewellery stores, clothing stores and accessory shops that should tell you about how little confidence most women really have. They work so hard to look a certain way because they are scared they can't attract or keep the man that they want. It's not the same for men. For men, it's more about having a stable job.
I feel like men do, but i feel like most men dont critique themselves as much as most women do. Like for me, if i dont feel attractive one day i literally break down and dont want to go outside. 75% of my thoughts are about my appearance. I know im an extreme, but i doubt there are guys who are as critical as i am
Not most men but the ones that do they probably do it more than girls Cause the ones that try to brcome aesthetic. They are literally obsessed with their bodies. More men than women there
Just women tend to do silly things like not eat to become thin. Remove ribs. Surgery and other silly things like that
But then many guys take steroids to gain more definition. So it depends. Both are like that
well, dating two guys who aren't so very fond of their bodies, i can say YEESS! girls, some guys really do need support and compliments. and some guys can be sensitive about that in particular. please be kind.
no, hehhe i wouldn't date two guys in the same time. but am talking about past life experiences. but of course i meant sincere compliments and what's not. i think guys get stigmatized a lot for caring how they look. and specially if it was about things they can't change over night. all am saying be sincere and supportive.
don't you feel especially good when especially your spouse or significant other thinks highly of you and how you look, and lets you know it more often? i think i want my boyfriend to feel special in the same way he makes me feel special and good about myself. it sorta comes naturally.
@Desconhecida & @AlwaysBelieving that came out wrong hehe, i meant in the past. and no deceiving needed, just be supportive and positive to your partners.
I am a little bit, but its because I've always been super skinny. 2 years ago, I was 158 pounds and 6'3. I'm just under 180 now, same height, but I still dont like it all that much. I like to work out at weird times because I feel like everyone is staring at me when I'm in the gym. Guys do get insecure about it, but not all of them do
I think it's really just a reverse effect on men. Women think they are fat, because society says supermodels are perfect. Men say they are too skinny or too fat/not lean enough, becuase society says men are suppose to be built like they were chiseled from stone (although girls have gone to saying the "dad bod" is better now
Yeah, that is very true and ironic honestly! :D Ugh. . . no, the "dad bod" is NOT attractive. Lol, it is just the "body positivity" movement trying to make it seem that way.
Men feel insecure about their bodies as well yes If they didn't there would not be be so many questions about penis size... I think overall though men might have a slightly easier time being at ease with themselves than women because society does not impose on us that we have to be beautiful in quite the same degree as women
Yes but a man who openly talks about his body insecurities is on par with him showing emotions. It’s judged as weakness subconsciously by both men and women.
I used to be told I was good looking all the time when I was younger. Hear less and less nowadays.
Yes, especially with hair and not having a 6 pack or being as tall as other guys or just in general maybe not looking absolutely fantastic. I hear I look good quite frequently actually but I'm insecure as fuck
Yes, porn especially (if a guy views it) will make him very self conscience about his body. Just like the portrayal of women in a fictitious way, men also think something is wrong if their looks don't match up or their bodies performance is off.
Yes , when I put on some pounds I feel like shit , I always hear girls say it's ok for a guy to be chubby but for a girl they can't be? Which I don't agree with considering I feel girls mainly go for guys that are fit
I think some do, yes. The guy I'm with believes he has bad acne so he will take 2-4 washroom breaks a day to go to the sink and wash his face and he has almost no acne on his face - barely any at all - he is just super worried about his looks.
Yes. I've seen it and it's heartbreaking. A lot of my guy friends won't take of their shirts when they swim. I walked in on my roommate while he was putting on a shirt and he nearly had a panic attack.
It's not the same I think women have more serious insecurities and more of them. But men do find some common ground. I've felt too fat before to had other insecurities. It doesn't consume my whole being like I have seen with women.
Yes, but I would say that men have fewer of them, don't allow them to ru (i) n our lives for the most part, and don't show them as outwardly as most women do. Our insecurities are most often things like our big bellies, balding hair, being too hairy, having a small penis (or not as hung as we'd like), not being a good lover, not making enough money, not driving a nice car or owning a nice house, being shorter than we'd like, etc. only to name a few.
Yes. As women, men do feel insecure since. The stereotypical "best guy" has muscles all over, a big penis, tall, etc and a lot of men and boys don't have that but believe that's what women want. Unfortunately I felt the same way when I was younger since I wasn't as buff and tall as the other boys
I don't think so, no. I think guys, as a rule, are much more relaxed about this type of thing, although the Internet may well be changing that, for the worse.
Yeah I think so, but we hide it better. Women wear there emotions on there sleeves. Men tend to just internalize it and let it kill them from the inside out
We do but not to the same extent as girls, i think men’s insecurities are mostly in a sexual context like dick size/shape. Guys seem to accept their negative physical attributes from an early age like if they’re short or too skinny or something
YES, we have a nearly the same insecurities. However, most guys are too stubborn to admit it. But watch us closely, you will see us compare ourselves to other guys and especially celebrities. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Nope cause Society doesn't make us feel that way. For instance they say woman a woman gets grey but a guy gets distinguish a woman gets wrinkles but a man gets character lines. I know it sounds fucked up but it's true
Hell, we even get tore up a bit harder than you, ladies get from your insecurities, because we always go on pretending that we don't give a damn about anything, because, well, society sucks y'know!
Men aren't under the same pressure, so i suppose no. Not all or in the same way. There's not a multi billion industry creating and preying on men's bodily insecurities.
Disagree , women's check list when dating : first thing you will hear tall dark and handsome , media outlets constantly telling us we have to be physically fit and handsome and cannot be average. Yet If we talk about these issues were told to harden the F' up
@Luke123456 please. Don’t even try to compare women’s standards for men to what ALL OF SOCIETY expects from women. The perfect body, but completely natural because otherwise they’re fake. Perfect hair, but God forbid they spend too much time on it or they’re shallow. Flawless face, but if they wear makeup they’re trampy, without it they’re ugly. Quiet, but not too quiet because then they’re a doormat. Social, but not too social or they’re annoying. That’s just the BEGINNING of it.
You won’t see a woman in Hollywood whose ugly, or goes out to an event without makeup, when Hollywood mostly focuses on men’s accomplishments. In an interview with a woman, they’ll ask about hair, makeup, love life. Interview with a man? Recent job, projects on the horizon, opinions on current issues.
@Luke123456 75% of suicides are committed by males because men generally commit suicide in more violent, efficient ways, such as hanging or generally by a gun which have a higher success rate, while women generally try an overdose, which doesn’t work as well.
Using your logic though, women might just be mentally stronger. Boo hoo.,
@Luke123456 Dear God. The only childish thing here is how you can’t deflect the facts I’m saying so you resort to picking apart little messages. Also, women attempt suicide 3 times more then men.
That's your perception after growing up with body dismorphia I know someone who had stronger positive feelings about their body compared to mine. But yeah keep generalising
What facts? You're pointing out general emoitions? Please list some figures and data, that's considered a fact not having a go at somebody with emotional responses. " things that have been proven to be true" you don't think this doesn't apply to men?
@Luke123456 pardon? The fact you know that about me is creepy. And for the record, I fucking LOVE my body. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t experienced societies pressure.
And you dragging a disorder I previously had into this is a low, childish blow that an adult should know better about. Inexcusable.
And God, the hypocrisy. So when you say something I should automatically take it for a truth, but when I rebuttal it with FACTS from studies that show women attempt suicide three times more, and men just are successful more.
The fact you know about me , I did not write one thing about you? I disagreed with your statement and said pressure is put on both males and females. The reason I bring up mental health issues "it's a low blow " ... really so you're going to write it off because it doesn't fit your way of thinking. Why do you think so many guys take steroids and have muscle dysmorphia because these days were expected to be the alpha male. All I'm saying is that guys have a lot of pressure on themselves to look good and you can't generalise. 30 years ago yes I would agree with you guys back then could seem to get away with being overweight and worry less about looks. Then in the 80's the fitness era came in with guys like Arnold , sly Stallone , dolph lungdreen etc. So that's what body issues started to take part on men
@Luke123456 you said “that’s your perception after growing up with body dysmorphia”. Low blow to bring up my past mental disorders. You must of stalked my past questions to know that, dear Lord.
@Luke123456 my bad, then. The lack of a comma and my own personal experience with body dysmorphia, as I’ve mentioned it on this site I believe, made it sound like you were speaking about me. My apologies.
Sorry im typing this from my phone and it lags. I would never make fun of a mental issue. Also you are correct on the suicides I was just going on common knowlegede. All I'm trying to say is sometimes men can feel pressured as well.
@Luke123456 I agree, especially with the movements like the MeToo one, but in my opinion women do feel more pressure to meet physical and non physical standards.
I'd say so! I look in the mirror, and wish I had an extra 2 to my 6-pack, I stare at my glutes, and hope they'll be good enough, my pecs are too small... etc.
Yes, men are worse ,, you only have to read some of the questions on here. Main talking point is his cock big enough, guys get a grip , it sounds pathetic.
Yes. Men just don't express them as openly as women. Both men and women have expectations they want to fulfill, so it's normal for both to have insecurities, not just women.
Yup, I'm getting overweight, I don't have a sixpack and with long hair I'm probably doomed to a very niche group of women. Being 6'7 is probably too tall too.
Yes us men have the same insecurities about our bodies. Some may not admit it. When women reject us men, we wonder what she don't see in me as desirable and wish it was different.
Girl's Behavior 
Guy's Behavior 
Flirting 
Dating 
Relationships 
Fashion & Beauty 
Health & Fitness 
Marriage & Weddings 
Shopping & Gifts 
Technology & Internet 
Break Up & Divorce 
Education & Career 
Entertainment & Arts 
Family & Friends 
Food & Beverage 
Hobbies & Leisure 
Other 
Religion & Spirituality 
Society & Politics 
Sports 
Travel 
Trending & News 
+1 y
+1 y
+1 y
+1 y
+1 y
+1 y
+1 y
+1 y
+1 y
+1 y
+1 y
+1 y
+1 y
+1 y
+1 y
+1 y
+1 y
Most Helpful Opinions