There’s no tenure for manhood. The false promise of The Man Rules is that if you follow them closely enough, for long enough, you will soon rest easy in your identity as a man. But, the truth is, a man’s…
What Men Would Tell You…About Sex
“If it’s true that men want sex 24/7, what does it mean if he won’t have sex with me?” “Why won’t he engage in foreplay before sex or cuddling after? There’s no affection or intimacy.” “Why is sex only about…
What is Sex For?
What is sex for? Have you ever asked yourself that question? You may think, “procreation, of course” but that doesn’t explain why people who don’t want kids have sex. If you say, “fun and pleasure,” that doesn’t explain why, for…
What Men Would Tell You… About Being a Protector
Once a month, Dan and Dr. Allen Berger sit down to talk about a chapter from their forthcoming book, What Men Would Tell You…If We Weren’t Too Busy Watching TV. The title of the book is meant to be humorous,…
Keep It Clean
Once Tidying up with Marie Kondo hit Netflix this past January, it seemed like everyone was suddenly talking about the real impact of household upkeep on our minds, bodies, and spirits. Of course, conversations about the division of household labor…
What Men Would Tell You…About Success
American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson said that true success is “… to appreciate the beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better…” Clearly, that guy never had two kids and a mortgage. In this…
12 Stupid Things You Can Do to Mess Up The Holidays
Okay, you’ve requested your time off from the boss, booked the plane tickets, sent the cards, bought the presents, and baked the cookies –or completed any number of your traditional holiday tasks. So, you may think that you’re ready for…
How to Have a Happy Holiday—Yes, Really.
The holidays truly are magical. They have the power to magically transform fully functioning adults back into their adolescent selves, the moment they step into a room with their parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and/or cousins. No matter how much you’ve…
Daddy Download – Will We Ever Have Sex Again?
Everyone told you being a Dad would be hard, right? Many probably even said, “Nothing can prepare you…” And, man, they were so right. There’s nothing we can tell you to make the transition to being a new Dad a…
What Men Would Tell You… If They Weren’t Too Busy Watching TV
Everyone is interested in how men and women can get along these days. The model Allen and Dan offer is different. No more “we’re from different planets.” As our regular listeners know, Dan is working on a new book, What…
I Love You…Man
It’s rarely easy for any of us to say “I love you” for the first time. But, this can be especially true when one straight guy loves another straight guy. Of course, those times are changing. Especially thanks to your…
What Men Would Tell You… About Women
It’s been said that men are women are from totally different planets. All of the struggles they have in relating to one another are a result of the fact that they are just two totally different species, and the only…
RecomMENded Reading – May
If you want to change old patterns of thought and behavior—like choosing more consciously how The Man Rules fit into your life—you’re going to need to broaden your perspective and gain some personal insight. There’s no better way to do…
What Men Would Tell You… About What They’re Thinking
Dr. Allen Berger is back to help Dan introduce an exciting new monthly project for The Man Rules podcast! Dan and Allen are working on a book called What Men Would Tell You… If They Weren’t Too Busy Watching TV….
Why Aren’t I Happy? Men and Depression
Men are four times more likely to die by suicide than women, and their depression is more likely to manifest as anger and violence. As this week’s guest, Terry Real, puts it men either feel that they are failing the…
How Podcasts Can Help Men Improve Their Relationships
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,…
Truth and Consequences – Episode 55
The truth—as both Dan and his guest Dr. Michael Levittan see it—is that the ways we raise boys and girls to relate to one another is dysfunctional at best, personally damaging and emotionally debilitating at worst. The consequences of this…
Tune Out to Tune In – Episode 52
Visit the children’s clothing aisles in your favorite department store, and you’ll quickly see how deeply obsessed we are with gender dichotomies. You can be either masculine or feminine, dolls or trucks, pink or blue. You can either be tough…
Eager to Please – Episode 48
If you’re confused about what women want sexually, it may be because many of them are confused themselves, though through no fault of their own. Most of us, men as well as women, feel confusion about sex and our sexuality,…
Episode 45: Go Coach Yourself!
Happy New Year! And welcome to the annual tradition of making resolutions without much resolve. This year, though, could really be your year. Instead of relying on willpower to achieve your goals, rely on a framework for positive change, like…
Episode 42: Men Overboard, Cheryl Sharp on Navigating the #MeToo Sea Change
Cheryl Sharp is an expert on trauma and resilience and a lifelong sailor. So, she knows a thing or two about dealing with rough waters, literally and figuratively. In this episode, she and Dan talk about the stunning cultural tsunami…
Episode 40: The Polarity Express
In this episode, speaker and teacher John Wineland defines masculine and feminine polarity (think magnetic fields) and their differing energies and strengths as they relate to intimacy and sex. John talks about how personal awareness of those different energies, which he labels as feminine…
Episode 39: Rollin’ with No Homies
“The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just have to find the ones worth suffering for.” – Bob Marley When’s the last time you talked to another man about something that was going on in your life…
Episode 37: NOT As Seen On TV! Andrew Smiler on how TV Shapes the ‘Average Man’
If you were a social anthropologist and you wanted to understand the norms and values of some ancient society, you’d likely take a look at their cultural artifacts. You’d closely examine their writings, paintings, sculptures, etc., to look for clues…
Episode 33: It Ain’t Just About Getting Laid
Man Rule #1: Real men have as much sex as possible whenever possible with as many hot and different chicks as possible with as big of a dick as possible. So, if you are a man, and find yourself craving…
Episode 26: Self-Love Is So Unmanly! Ross Rosenberg on Narcissism, Addiction, and Self-Love Deficiency in Men
They’re sexy, they’re interesting, and they ignore you. Obviously, they’re your type. Your intense attraction to this person must be love. So, you enter into a relationship. Soon, your dream lover morphs into a bit of a nightmare. They’re a…
Episode 22: The Generational Gender Shift — Jack Myers On Gen Z & Masculinity
Times are changing. Especially in terms of our society’s attitudes about traditional gender roles. For some, times can’t change fast enough. They are eager for a time when we’ll finally be free from the personal and professional limitations that result…
You Cheated. Now What? – Episode 7
If there’s one thing that Rob Weiss, MSW, knows for sure from his more than 25 years as therapist and sexologist, it’s that men don’t respond well to bullshit. That’s why his new book “Out of the Doghouse” takes care…
Episode 5: When Life Busts Your Balls, with Dr. Jon Caldwell
When Dr. Jon Caldwell, a psychiatrist and Medical Director for Meadows Behavioral Healthcare, was a kid he worked at a golf course where his job was to pick up golf balls in the rough and take them back to the…
Love is Boring
Here is what I have concluded after thirteen years of marriage: Love is boring.
Staying in Healthy Relationships
A running joke in our training’s is that the issue for men is not whether or not we can get into relationships. Men have no problem getting into a relationship! The real challenge is staying in relationships. And given everything…
Men, Relationships, and Trauma
The role of trauma in men’s relationships is interesting – to say the least. What is so difficult about it is how hidden it can be. I have learned a lot about trauma in the past decade. Before then, despite…
Learning to Love and Be Loved
The most important word in the title of my book, A Man’s Way through Relationships: Learning to Love and Be Loved is learning. This means it is a process. I think it is a never-ending process. I did not write the book…
A Man’s Way through Relationships
Check out the New Book! A Man’s Way Through Relationships: Learning to Love and Be Loved Author: Dan Griffin, MA An essential guide to the challenges men face in creating healthy and engaged in relationship in all areas of their…
Creating Healthy Relationships
For the longest time of my early recovery I wanted someone to love. I do not mean just to have sex with. My heart longed for connection. And I never thought I would find it. Once I started actually dating…