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Why Men Are Like Rubber Bands

Thu, 04/30/2009 - 21:26 —Rick

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The funny thing about rubber bands is that they are so flexible that they can hold things together. And we men like to believe that we have the tenacity and elasticity to do just that – hold various parts of our lives together and keep them going. And in a way we do. After all, life is all about juggling one’s career, family, friends and love relationships. The only word that can describe being able to handle all aspects of life with equal verve and dedication is “stretch.” And that brings me back to the rubber band.

The other interesting similarity between men and rubber bands is that they contract when heated and expand when cooled! Yes, we do just that. Give us stress or put us on the hot seat and see how our focus narrows to troubleshooting, sometimes at the expense of other aspects of life. And now relieve the stress, let us cool down and see how far we are willing to go to avoid conflict. The best case to point is the need to live up to expectations (sometimes most unreasonable) in love relationships. Men will stretch that extra mile to accommodate the most ludicrous of demands as long as it keeps things cool and avoids a confrontation. And when faced with confrontation, we not only shrink away as far as possible, after a point we just snap.

The good news is that today’s man has learnt to grow out of the strictly masculine gender role that through the ages have made men crave power and control. The man of the 21st century is characterized by emotional flexibility, the capacity for tenderness and caring. Of course, we still do need our big cars and power tools at times but like the magnificent rubber band, we have the elasticity to be both strong and powerful when needed or tender and caring. We too need something soft and cuddly when we are tired and alone.

How fitting is it that the single that marked the beginning of David Bowie’s illustrious career was also called “Rubber Band”?

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