Written in partnership with DN News Desk
Photo Credit: Christopher SenekkiDo you know that the way you dress has an impact on your confidence? For example, you prepare for an interview but wear sloppy clothes. There’s a good chance that your interview won’t go well. On the other hand, if you wear smart, formal dresses, the panelists will feel more severe and ready for the interview. As they say, first impressions last.
But what about men who can’t make a good first impression? Does that mean they are not fit for the job? Maybe the guy was nervous because he had to attend to his ailing mother just before the interview. He couldn’t say it at the time because he felt it would count as an excuse not to dress up. Can you imagine what can go on in his mind if he was the most deserving guy for the job but didn’t crack the interview? Christopher Senekki, an expert in men’s fashion and has been advocating about the importance of mental health, thinks that such a situation shouldn’t come up in the first place. According to Christopher, this often leads to toxic masculinity.
Understanding toxic masculinity
Stereotyping toxic masculinity limits men with a set of behaviors that deprives them of compassion and expression. In the above example, the interview panelists may be stereotyping the candidate with lousy clothes as callous or inattentive without even knowing the person. Christopher believes this can lead the Alpha male into depression, anxiety afflictions, and even addiction. When you point out to someone that he can’t live up to your expectations, you are depriving that person of the happiness he deserves. That may harm his mental health.
What’s an Alpha male?
According to Christopher Senekki, an Alpha male is someone who, irrespective of what people think, isn’t afraid to open up. But it isn’t as easy as you think. Since Christopher is also an expert in men’s fashion, he believes that the fashion industry is responsible for fostering Alpha male stereotypes. It corners a bunch of men who aren’t just masculine enough in the eyes of so-called fashion experts. They don’t have those washboard abs like the models do.
Christopher believes that these ads are misleading and have adverse effects on the minds of men who may not look remotely similar. Maybe they want to lose weight but can’t because of other stressful factors in their lives. These may make them feel insecure about themselves, leading to mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
Preventing toxicity
Christopher Senekki thinks that mental health has a lot to do with your frame of mind. It’s what you think that matters the most. If you think you look good in contemporary clothes, then so be it. Just make sure that whatever you do, you feel confident, compassionate, self-aware, and comfortable doing it. That should prevent you from the toxicity that the world seems hell-bent on imposing.
Keeping a positive mindset may not happen overnight. But changing your lifestyle can indeed contribute to it. Christopher advises men to dress confidently as it can affect their actions in front of other people, helping them develop a positive image of themselves.
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