“Moving Toward Emotional Health”

“A closed mind is like a closed book; just a block of wood.”

-Chinese Proverb

“Depression grows from fear of change. In so many ways, change is the enemy of the man whose mind is locked in place. He doesn’t realize that close-minded behavior is a sign of weakness. Open-minded men are strong enough to accept criticism and, most likely, are willing to change. How ironic that the traditional man, who is trying so heard to appear strong, is actually the most weak and fearful. At this time of his life, your manopause man needs to understand that his masculinity is not in question, just his willingness to change.

Luckily, your manopause man’s mind is not a block of wood. It has the ability to recognize the feelings washing over him and learn from them. But first, he has to learn to isolate and examine those feelings. Does he understand why he is having them? After he denies, blames, or digs in his heels, does he see his behavior as evidence of his unwillingness to accept change?”

“Manopause
Your Guide to Surviving His Changing Life”
by Lisa Friedman Bloch and Kathy Kirtland Silverman