Culture

The Backward Tick
Arthur didn't notice it at first. Not really. The old grandfather clock, Thomas's clock, had stood in the corner of the living room for fifty years, ticking with the measured, steady rhythm of a man who knew his place. It had been his father’s; a hulking, dark oak beast, a wedding gift from a cousin in the old country. When Thomas died, the clock just kept on, a constant presence, a silent sentinel in the house Arthur now rattled around in alone. For weeks after the funeral, Arthur had barely heard it, lost in the fuzzy quiet of grief and cheap whiskey.
By HAADI28 days ago in Men
The Gutter's Glare
Frank pulled the collar of his worn jacket tighter, the fabric rasping against his stubbled chin. Rain had been coming down for hours, a relentless, cold sheet that slicked the cracked asphalt and made the city shimmer with a greasy sheen. He wasn't going anywhere in particular, just away. Away from the stale air of his efficiency apartment, away from the silence that felt louder than any argument. The streetlights, the garish neon signs of the pawn shop, the greasy spoon diner, and the adult bookstore, all bled into the overflowing gutters, their colors warping into liquid smears of red, blue, green, and a sickly yellow.
By HAADI28 days ago in Men
The Ledger of Unsaid Things
Arthur’s knuckles were bone-white as they gripped the mahogany railing, worn smooth by a century of hands. Not fear, not really, just an old man’s stiffness, the cold bite of autumn through the ancient stone walls of the University Archives, seeping into his joints. The air in here, it was a thick, velvet shroud, smelling of dried ink, brittle parchment, and something else—a faint, metallic tang, like old blood, or rust, or maybe just the relentless passage of time eating away at everything. He came here Tuesdays and Thursdays, religiously, for years now, ever since Thomas… well, ever since.
By HAADIabout a month ago in Men
Female Violence on Men.
You hear much about the violence against women in various forms, and rightly so. Women statistically are more likely to be victims of violence by men than the other way round. However, there is underreported violence against men by women. Most men, because of the macho, silverback culture that males are told and brought up in, are afraid to report violence by their female partner. When men are told to man up, most men are scared of ridicule by other males when they report violence by women. So, consequently, men live in a world where they appease their female abuser.
By Nicholas Bishopabout a month ago in Men
Pt. Birju Maharaj: The Maestro Who Made Kathak Sing
Birju Maharaj’s artistry demonstrated that for a dancer, music is not simply an accompaniment but an essential part of expression. His voice, always gentle, melodious and emotionally rich, reflected the same fluidity that defined his movements. When he danced, each graceful sweep of the hand and every effortless spin conveyed a sense of celebration, as if he were honouring the rhythms of the universe itself. His journey in Kathak began when he was a very young child, during a period when British India did not recognise most indigenous art forms as classical. Despite these circumstances, he stepped onto the public stage at the age of seven, only two years before India gained Independence.
By Aarohi Mehtaabout a month ago in Men
Why I Kept Attracting the Wrong People (And the One Shift That Finally Broke the Pattern)
For years, I kept attracting the wrong people — emotionally unavailable partners, draining friendships, people who took more than they gave, and relationships that left me confused or hurt.
By Aman Saxena2 months ago in Men
Rebuilding Reciprocity
Truth alone can heal what pride has broken. The war between men and women is not natural. It is manufactured by a culture that rewards resentment and mocks responsibility. Men are not the enemy of women, and women are not the enemy of men. The true enemy is the spirit of division that turned cooperation into competition. To rebuild what was lost, both must return to the principle that made civilization possible: reciprocity.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast2 months ago in Men
The Asymmetry of Consequence
A society cannot survive when truth applies to one group but not another. Every civilization that endures is built on shared accountability, equal justice, and balanced consequence. When one group is shielded from correction while another carries the full weight of judgment, corruption takes root. Today, that imbalance has become deeply gendered. Men are punished for failure, while women are protected from it. Men are held to the standard of results, while women are measured by intentions. The scales of consequence are no longer even, and the results are visible everywhere.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast2 months ago in Men
Men Are Not Utilities
Society praises men for what they produce but rarely for who they are. From childhood, men are taught that their value comes from their performance. They are measured by their paycheck, their strength, their endurance, and their ability to provide. They are expected to sacrifice without complaint, to solve problems without emotion, and to keep standing no matter how much weight they carry. What society calls manhood is often servitude disguised as virtue.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast2 months ago in Men
"I Don't Need Another Daughter!"
This story is based on real events that happened in the 1970s in the Soviet Union, before use of the ultrasound became common for pregnancies.
By Lana V Lynx2 months ago in Men
Halloween Pumpkin Painting Ideas That Prove No-Carve Designs Are the Way to Go
For some, Halloween is all about getting your hands dirty and carving a fresh pumpkin. For others, a no-carve pumpkin design allows for more creativity (and less mess!). If you're someone who doesn't love all the sharp tools and all that comes with carving, these festive pumpkin painting ideas are for you.
By General gyan2 months ago in Men
Generations were taught to hide the storm.
For centuries, men were told that feeling is weakness. Women were told the same – and punished for it. Tears, grief, joy, desire: all policed. Women’s hearts were called “too much,” men’s hearts were called “off-limits.”
By THE HONED CRONE2 months ago in Men