Thread by @Positivteacha

🧵'Being the better man': A thread 🧵

'Be the bigger man. Walk away.'

'Do the right thing.'

'Don't go down to his level.'

We tell young men that backing out of a fight is the right thing to do.

(1/5)

And it might be, for us, but in the playground, streets or ends, backing out comes at a considerable cost to your social status. Boys who back out face humiliation, shame and piss-taking.

(2/5)

Sometimes, we tell *ourselves* that young men backing out of fights is due to noble strength of character. When, in reality, they backed out of the fight because they were terrified of public defeat, or simply shitting the fact they could get their head kicked in.

(3/5)

We need to remember that many boys have been made to believe, since birth, that the true measure of a man is his physical capacity for violence, and so backing out of a fight leads to acute feelings of shame, worthlessness and embarassment.

(4/5)

Being strong (or scared) enough to walk away, does not always mean you're strong enough to face what comes afterwards.

Look after those who walk away.

(5/5)

@threadreaderapp unroll please