Most relationship self-help books are roundly dismissed as being “for women.” And, some guys just aren’t all that into reading anyway—or so “they” say. (We wonder how much of it has to do with the fact that the books, products, and services are simply not marketed to men.)
Dan always talks about how, in the 21st century, growth in the expectation that men show up with vulnerability and intimacy has been exponential, while guidance to help them learn how to do that has been minimal. And, most of what is available is critical of men or reinforces more traditional and outdated ideas of masculinity.
For men looking to make some crucial changes in their lives and improve their relationships, it may be difficult to find resources that appeal to them and fit their lifestyles. What can they do to help broaden their perspectives and gain more personal insight?
How about podcasts?
One of the reasons we created The Man Rules podcast was to give men resources that can meet them where they are. Podcasts can be a great gateway for men who aren’t yet used to the idea of taking time out every day for self-reflection. They can listen in the car to and from work, or while they’re tooling around in the garage, cooking dinner, or working out.
Most importantly, they can learn from other men who have been where they are, and easy to relate to as they share their own ongoing struggles to live more consciously.
The Man Rules Podcast on Relationships
One frequent assumption our society makes about men is that they don’t care about relationships. However, it’s often trouble with a primary relationship— spouse, partner, or ex — that often first motivates men to look for help. Here are four podcast episodes from The Man Rules podcast archive that give men some practical tips on common relationship stumbling blocks:
How He Can Reconnect After an Argument
In this episode, Dan explains how men can get comfortable with vulnerability in spite of The Man Rules’ insistence that they never feel nor show vulnerability. And, he shares some great tips on how men can improve their communication skills, and create emotional safety in relationships for themselves and their loved ones.
When He’s Cheated or Wants to Cheat
In this episode of The Man Rules podcast, Dan talks to Rob Weiss, and therapist and sexologist, about why men cheat, how they can regroup and reconnect with their partners when they feel the urge to cheat, and how they can truly heal their relationships with their partners if they have cheated. They also touch on some of the pros and cons of porn, the ins and outs of internet dating, and the struggles many men have today with expressing their masculinity and sexuality in healthy ways.
When People Walk All Over Him
Dan talks to psychologist Ross Rosenberg about what he calls “self-love deficiency disorder.” Men struggling with it tend to be attracted to narcissists like moths to flame. They stay in relationships with narcissists, no matter how poorly they’re treated, because of an inability to recognize their own inherent worthiness. They feel, subconsciously, that they have to constantly prove that they are worthy of love by sacrificing their own needs and desires for the love of someone else.
When His Ideas About The Man Rules and Sex Get in the Way of True Intimacy
In this recording of a talk given at The Center for Healthy Sex in Los Angeles, Dan offers his humorous and insightful take on the ways in which one of the cardinal Man Rules (i.e. have as much sex as possible, as often as possible, with as many women as possible) is enforced in our society, and the ways in which it hinders men’s relationships and their mental health. He also shares the surprising ways in which shame and fear lead men to constantly— and unconsciously — seek emotional safety through sex.
Online Relationship Course for Men
Dan has designed a FREE four-session online course that will help men understand why they struggle in relationships and give them an “exercise plan” to work on between sessions.
Men will learn:
- How their ideas about what it means to be a man block them from having the relationships they truly want
- How to take an honest inventory of their relationships
- Specific exercises to help them understand what keeps certain relationships from working
- And, most importantly, specific steps they can take to make improvements in their most important relationships!
Sign-up at A-MANS-WAY.TEACHABLE.COM
