It's true. There are a lot of truly great American men. It's sad that you you don't see them as much in media and entertainment because they're usually quiet. They don't need to thump their chests, browbeat, and rage all the time to feel like a man. They're just there, being steady and taking care of their shit without the need to be such a constant fucking drama whore about it. They're solid, and they know it.

To be fair, I've known several Eastern European men as well. I've known 5 personally and heard from others. Then there's the ones you see in media, like reality TV shows, news reels, propaganda pieces...you know, things where it's either been edited, curated, or performed to create a narrative.

The two do not line up. I've been touched with how easy smiles and laughter come from the Eastern Europeans men I have known. It's absolutely infectious. What easy listeners they are. How respectful and how they don't make everything about them, they realize their partners are people too who have their own shit they have to go through and deal with too. They respect that and they willingly take a back seat, being a sounding board and support; not trying to fix things or gaslight their partner, or make it about them.

I suspect the same is true across the globe. Some men are men. Others aren't so sure they truly are, deep down, so they spend their entire lives trying to prove to themselves and other men that they measure up to the narrative even though the narrative is not the most desirable kind of guy because it's that caricature.

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