Most men out there hold this arguably toxic trait of keeping their feelings bottled up. They consider sharing their problems as a sign of weakness as if to imply not being able to deal with their problems themselves. From an early stage, they are exposed to sexist comments like, “Don’t cry. You are not a little girl” or “Be a man. Get up and face your problems yourself”, and that is where the toxic masculinity begins to kick in. Sometimes the same problems arise for women. They feel like showing any signs of weakness would simply give people an excuse to look down on her or label her as someone incompetent.

The truth of the matter is that everyone needs someone they can open up to. They need someone that they can trust and someone who, without a doubt, has their interests at heart. The only problem is finding that special someone. Of course, a lot of people find such relationships with their families. Parents or even siblings can have your back and might never judge you for sharing your feelings, but at the same point, a lot of people do not hold such a relationship with their family. They need someone else to fill that void. Could be a love interest, or simply a close friend.

Getty Images/DigitalVision/Jordan Siemens

Vulnerability is not just a part of love or friendship. It is a necessity. You only realize that a true bond has formed when you have shared something rather personal with you and know that the person you have shared that secret with will make sure he or she won’t break your trust. You don’t have to be vulnerable to everyone, but with some people, you need to take the leap of faith to establish a deeper, more meaningful connection with them.