It’s been said, and I’ve witnessed myself, that a sick cat can fake being healthy for a long time before, as the end nears, finding a safe cranny in which to die. It’s a primal instinct. In the wild, an animal showing weakness becomes prey, so cats hide it as well as they can for as long as they can.
The older I get, the more I think men are the same.
Mandatory disclaimer: not all men, not all the time, and mostly based on my own observations and social conditioning.
Stereotypically, men avoid doctors and don’t share our medical problems with friends or even family. I don’t believe it’s because we’re cowardly, stubborn, or in denial—at least not always.
I think it’s because our deep ape-brains tell us that if we ever show weakness, we’re prey. Our status and value would vanish, and we’d be subjected to the worst shame imaginable: pity.
Counterpoint: the “man cold,” a case of ordinary sniffles that women bear without complaint but which drives men to swoon to their beds in melodramatic helplessness. I’d argue that’s the exception that proves (in the sense of “tests and strengthens”) the rule. The very fact that a phrase like “man cold” exists teaches men that displaying vulnerability will get them mocked as pathetic and weak. Many men would endure a lot to avoid that humiliation. Some would rather die.
By the way, I’m perfectly healthy right now. Don’t expect me to admit it when I’m not.
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