Women were asked about things guys do to make themselves feel masculine, but which have the opposite effect – 21 actions for real men to avoid

If you’ve ever seen that, presumably unintentionally, hilarious video of Andrew Tate ‘working out’ next to a pile of money and tacky watches, you’ll know that more often than not the things men do to try and make themselves look tough just end up making them look like massive dweebs.

Over on the AskReddit page, user Noble-prize683 has been pondering this, and posed the following question:

Women, what’s something guys flex feeling it makes them appear masculine, but in reality it has the opposite effect?

And both sexes were keen to suggest the things guys should stop doing if they want to be seen as ‘real’ men.

1.

‘You say ‘Alpha Male’ we hear ‘Deactivate Vagina’.’
–RaptureInRed

2.

‘Especially because the ‘science’ it was based on was discredited by the very scientist who popularised it in the first place. Wolves don’t have aggression based hierarchies. They’re families. The dominant wolves in a pack are the mom and dad, and they work together to hunt, defend the den, and raise the pups.

And even if all the stuff about lone alpha wolves was true, it wouldn’t matter because humans are not wolves. You might as well look as bee hives and say a man’s purpose is to eat, mate with the queen, and die while women do all the jobs.’
–FencingFemmeFatale

3.

‘Had a guy flex that he worked as an HVAC on roofs and decided he didn’t need any water on the two hottest days of the year last year and then ended up in the hospital.

THEN he tried to flex not sleeping and I’m just sitting there like, of ALL the things to flex on, you chose those two, and you are fully aware I’m a nurse?? What??’
–theblackcanaryyy

4.

‘Not a woman but I was working with a guy who was bragging about how he never stretched but never pulled a muscle despite playing sports his whole life. He had surgery for a torn rotator cuff last year. Then he started bragging about how massages don’t do anything for him. Was like yeah bro you’re too tough for massage therapy and stretching.’
–Iztac_xocoatl

5.

‘My ex wouldn’t eat yogurt because it was too feminine. He also wouldn’t use an umbrella, use anything that was pink (including Benadryl when he had allergies), he wouldn’t put a fitted sheet on his bed or a duvet cover on his comforter (yep, too gay), and one time his skin was so dry during an extra cold, dry winter so I offered to let him use some of my facial moisturiser which was literally just an Aveeno moisturiser for dry skin and he wouldn’t use it because I guess only women moisturise? No chap stick either.

It’s so ridiculous that men like him would rather get drenched in the rain, suffer from allergies, sleep straight on a nasty mattress that couldn’t be washed, and deal with dry and burning skin because all of those things are better than doing random things that they consider feminine.’
–omglookawhale

6.

‘Walking with their arms bowed out. No, Carl, that doesn’t make your muscles look bigger. A literal flex, I suppose.’
–Ilovethe90sforreal

7.

‘Not sure if it’s a flex, but guys that boldly say they don’t change their baby’s diapers, specifically if it’s a poopy diaper. These are the same guys that brag they’d die for their family, but they’ll let an infant sit in crap all day until their wife changes the diaper for them. There’s nothing masculine about being afraid to help your own child.’
–piper33245

8.

‘Refusing to wear sunscreen – like, you’re not tougher than the sun and you’ll age like a raisin.’
–Wild_Cauliflower_970

9.

‘Bragging (usually lying and making up stories) about how they have so much money, women, power, how strong they are. No, I do not want to hear about how you can get any woman you want and beat up any man if they look at you funny. You’re not cool, you’re an insecure moron.’
–_allycat

10.

‘Using any Greek alphabet letters to refer to people including themselves.’
–SnooRegrets8068

11.

‘As a guy, dudes who openly brag about refusing to eat vegetables. Fiber is your friend, bro. RIP to your painful daily constitutionals.’
–Oceanbreeze871