The Perfect Gentleman Issue 5 | Page 34

Thoughtful Gentleman by PG Team We men are appalling at one major thing. Yes, I can hear the cries of ‘Just One’ from ladies around the world, but this one thing worries me & the PG team more than anything and it ripples are felt throughout modern manhood. This one thing, is our inability to ask for help. It can manifest in the trivial, such as the oft cliched example of men never asking for directions, no matter how lost. The more common place is such things as not seeking nor admitting they need help in learning such things as life skills or knowledge. This one we see here at PGHQ a good deal, usually it manifests until it becomes absolutely necessary to ask, which can be too late. And the more troubling and most importantly, is when men have emotional difficulties or more deep seated problems. 34 The single biggest cause of death amongst men under 45 in the UK, is suicide. It is in the top three causes in North America and it is the same in most countries in the western world. It would be trite and simplistic of us to think that suicide is solved by asking for help or that inability to seek help is the root cause. It is certainly a contributing factor. No, what we are saying is that, we men need to understand that we are not alone. That every single person has problems, difficulties and issues. That everyone struggles through their issues. You are not alone. We all can use a friendly ear and a supportive shoulder. There is truth in cliches and the phrase that ‘no man is an island’, should be taken to heart. We are not in the Victorian days of ‘stiff upper lip’ and living by the maxim that a man should not show his feelings. This is the 21st century and we should have moved forward but this sometimes feels not to be the case.