Why Were Men More Passionate in the Past?
Why Were Men More Passionate in the Past?
At some point on the way to contemporary life, something was lost.
Men used to feel something more than merely desire; they felt devotion. They yelled into storms, wrote letters that bled, and fought battles that were not only about staying alive but also about finding purpose. Their emotions were wild, their words were honest, and their actions were based on what they believed, not on algorithms.
Now?
We scroll.
We disappear.
We reply, "It is what it is," and then we shrug.
But things weren't always this way.
What happened then?
1. Comfort Kills Passion
Life used to be crisp. You had to go hunting. Guard. Show. Love is worth fighting for. Art makes you suffer. That type of conflict makes a soul. It offers a guy something to strive toward.
But what about today? We order meals with two taps. Swipe to "connect." Always choose the road of least resistance.
And comfort... For all its ease...
Is the fire dying slowly?
What do you feel when there are no mountains to climb, no edges to tread, and no genuine stakes in your choices?
Passion comes from hard work. Hungry. At danger. And we've made sure that none of it happens in our life.
2. The picture took the place of the feeling
In a world where looks are everything, feelings become a problem.
Being detached is cooler. It's better to be neutral. If you feel too much, you're "too much." If you try too hard, and you're "cringe." "Down bad" means you love too much.
We exchanged our souls for irony.
Conviction for branding.
Feeling for filters.
But passion was never supposed to look good. It hasn't been chosen. It's a mess. It wants you to be there in totality, not just the greatest part of you.
And the fact is that a guy who can't feel truly is a ghost in his own existence.
3. Men Were Put In a Box
At some point, we put masculinity in a cage. Be powerful, but not too strong. Be aware of your feelings, but not too much. Don't weep. Don't yell. Don't need anything.
So males learnt how to make themselves numb. To tone things down. To keep everything under control.
But what is left when you take away the anger, the love, the desire, the poetry, and the fight?
You get males who are silent.
Men with nothing.
Men who chuckle with empty eyes and merely want to sleep.
That's not strong.
That's how to stay alive.
And that's not enough.
4. Not related to a goal
Passion requires a plan. Something to work for. Something to lose for.
Men used to have distinct steps to follow to become men: war, craft, fraternity, parenting, revolt, and transcendence. What now? Most of them simply float. Going after likes. Paychecks. Confirmation. But never meaning.
There is no passion without purpose; only motion.
And moving without a soul is merely a sluggish march to the tomb.
But the Fire Is Still There
It's still there.
Buried by years of "playing it cool."
Under the stress of having to be everything and feel nothing.
Afraid of being seen—completely seen.
But the fire never goes out. It waits.
You can tell when you:
Hear a song that cracks your ribs open.
When a storm comes, something stirs in your blood.
You may sense a love that might burn cities down when you look at someone.
The fire knows. No matter how much you forget.
How do you get it back?
You choose it.
You write about things that worry you.
You say what you think, even if your voice shakes.
You love without a plan B.
When something breaks, you let yourself weep.
You fight for something true, even if it means you lose.
You stop acting and start living.
Real desire will take away your mask, but it will also give you back your soul.
Last Thought
Men weren't more passionate previously because they were different.
They were only permitted to feel.
Expected to fight.
Encouraged to set fire.
The world today urges you to relax.
But your spirit wasn't made to be apathetic.
It was made for poetry.
For breaking your heart.
For love.
For anger.
For fire.
And it's time to get that fire back.