Stop Asking What Makes Me a Man—Ask What Makes Me Authentic: Reclaiming Masculinity through Truth

What if the question isn’t “What makes me a man?”—but “What makes me honest?”
In this personal and culturally reflective article, David Kernohan unpacks the emotional cost of performing masculinity—and the freedom found in living authentically. Drawing on psychology, lived experience, and men’s emotional health research, he explores how shame, suppression, and peer pressure keep men disconnected from themselves. If you’ve ever felt trapped by roles or silenced by expectations, this article offers a path toward emotional truth, grounded courage, and real connection.
It’s not about being more of a man—it’s about being more of yourself.