I don't think that bravery is about skin. Bravery is about a willingness to show emotional need. - Richard Gere
This quotation is threatening to most men, and of course to a lot of women. But, for men, to show emotional need is to allow someone to enter, which is scary because it is so vulnerable. Admitting emotional need and allowing another to help meet that need means they might be able to harm you. There is a willingness to give up control in order to risk love. It is utterly scary. This is exactly why it is called bravery.
Pema Chodron has a quote which I love. It says, "Compassion is learning to relax and moving towards what scares us." For men, allowing another person to come into contract with our emotions is terrifying. We have a hard time relaxing. To those of you who are women, my advice is to ask permission before offering to meet a man's emotional need. Slowly, they might permit you to help and they will be imperfect at it even if they try. But, permission is the key.
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