With toxic masculinity a very real problem, many men have shied away from asserting themselves in intimate relationships. They may hesitate to be decisive or take initiatives due to fear of her anger and disappointment, or being labeled as a misogynist.
Unfortunately, this leaves many to play it safe as “Mr. Nice Guy,” consistently saying “yes” to the woman in their life, abdicating decisions to her and remaining opinion-neutral to avoid conflict.

But being Mr. Nice Guy is not healthy for men over the long term. And instead of making women happy, it leaves them dissatisfied and irritable.  So many men these days are confused on “how to be”.  How do you find the middle ground?

Relationship coach GS Youngblood, is the author of The Masculine in Relationship, developing your Masculine core.  In his book he lays out a three part blueprint for doing so:

1. Develop your capacity to be settled and grounded in the face of emotion and conflict

2. Learn to provide direction and structure in the relationship

3. Help your woman feel emotionally and physically safe.

A healthy Masculine core balances all three elements.  In contrast, unhealthy versions of the Masculine overweight to one of the three elements.  “Mr. Nice Guy” tries to create so much safety that he becomes boring.  And a man exhibiting Toxic Masculinity focuses too much on providing direction, to the point where he is being domineering without regard for others’ well-being.  In the healthy Masculine, all three elements exist in harmony.

And this balanced manifesting of a Masculine core is what makes a man uniquely attractive to a woman in our modern world.