Actor Arjan Bajwa, who has been a part of blockbuster
movies like Fashion, Crook, Son of Sardar, Bobby Jasoos, Rustom, and
Kabir Singh, to name some, and web series like Bestsellers and State of
Siege: 26/11, believes men showing their emotions is considered a sign
of weakness; however, he stressed the need to give attention to their
mental and emotional health.
Sharing his thoughts on the occasion of Men’s Mental Health Month, which
is observed in June, he said, “Men’s health, of course, is very
underrated because a man is not supposed to show any emotions. He is
considered the provider, the worker, and someone who handles all
situations.”
“In fact, if a man appears emotional, it is often considered a sign of
weakness. But no one really understands that men are human beings too.
So, emotional health for men is of utmost importance, as the right frame
of mind will bring the right results,” he added.
Despite being in the public eye, the actor confessed that he doesn’t
express his feelings easily because he is always busy following his
dreams. But he admitted that he goes through emotional turmoil related
to the past, present, and future, adding, “There’s just no time or space
for a man to show emotions, I feel.”
He also mentioned that the conversation between men doesn’t include
talks about their personal struggles because that’s considered just a
part of their life. He shared, “Showing emotions is considered weak.
Therefore, the only way one can express themselves is by talking about
things that are in front of them, just to strike up a conversation. The
moment someone gets emotional and talks about their personal struggle,
the moment a person appears emotionally weak, the moment a man opens up
his heart, it is considered a sign that he is not strong enough to face
the world. So, in a way, it becomes just about facing your problems and
moving forward.”
Arjan stressed that men are often told to ‘man up’ or ‘be a man, this is
life,’ as people forget that a man is not a machine; he’s a human being
too. “Even in friend circles, there are rarely any moments when men
talk to each other about their emotional struggles because no one wants
to appear lacking or weak in life,” he said, adding that a man always
tries to put on a brave face for the world.
“Even if you are going through a lot of turmoil in your heart and mind,
you are ready to face it because that’s what a man is supposed to be
like. If you try to show any kind of emotion in any situation, which is
actually very normal for any human being, men are always told, ”he
added.
He believes that this problem is because men have been conditioned in
that way since the very beginning. He said, “If a man cries, he’s told,
‘Men don’t cry,’ because that’s seen as a sign of weakness. That’s the
kind of conditioning done right from the time a child is born. So, most
of the time, the majority of men just curb their emotions and keep them
to themselves, not even opening up to their friends or opening up to
their family because you’re not supposed to in that way.”
“I don’t really think that anybody seeking help for this kind of thing
from someone else makes much of a difference. Because only a man knows
how he can control or carry forward his daily life, his aims, his goals,
and the chores of life he needs to do to survive and face all the
challenges thrown at him,” he added.
He stressed that right from their childhood, men are put into that box
where they’re made to feel guilty for not doing things the right way.
“Men don’t get the freedom to be careless. Men don’t get the freedom to
be emotional or make mistakes in life. You’re always accountable for
every action you take. So, in that respect, men mostly weigh all the
pros and cons of every step they take in life. Curbing their feelings
and emotions and keeping them inside all the time,” Arjan ended.
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