My father taught me how to change a tire, how to check the oil, how to patch a hole in drywall, and how to fix a running toilet - and he never once taught me how to say I love you or how to hold someone when they cry or how to admit I was scared, and I've spent my whole adult life as a man who can fix every single thing in the house except the silence sitting in the middle of it - Silicon Canals

"The inheritance we don't talk about is the emotional absence passed down from fathers who taught their sons that feelings were weakness, not strength. This legacy leaves many men struggling to express vulnerability."

"Psychologist Terry Real describes this phenomenon as 'intimate terrorism'—the violence of emotional absence that affects countless men who learned to solve problems with their hands rather than their hearts."

A man reflects on his failed marriage and the emotional distance that remains unfixable despite his practical skills. He learned handyman skills from his father but lacked guidance on navigating emotions. His father, a factory worker, embodied practical competence but never showed vulnerability, teaching him that feelings were a weakness. This emotional absence is termed 'intimate terrorism' by psychologist Terry Real, highlighting a common legacy among men who prioritize problem-solving over emotional expression.

Read at Silicon Canals