Don’t Bleed. Build.
Don’t Bleed. Build. By Muzi Mthethwa There’s an old African proverb that says: Indoda ayikhali A man doesn’t cry. Generations of men were raised under this weighty banner. Crying was seen as weakness. Vulnerability, a threat to masculinity. And so, boys became men who never learned to speak their pain, who never allowed themselves the healing power of tears. Instead, they bled. Quietly. Internally. Constantly. But here’s the danger: bleeding doesn’t stop on its own. It seeps. It spills. And eventually, it stains. The Silent Epidemic of Bleeding Men Bleeding men often become the source of pain for others. They show up in society as aggressive, angry, withdrawn, or overbearing. In the boardroom, on the streets, in church, or at home they carry unresolved trauma camouflaged as strength. One of the deepest cuts in a man’s soul comes from expectations he’s too afraid to challenge. Take, for instance, the faithful man who’s shamed for his loyalty. He is mocked by peers who say...