The notion of how to live respectfully in harmony with others and the environment is foreign to many boys and men.
There are mindsets existent, in many cultures, which ensure young men are constantly under pressure either because they cannot define masculinity without the concept of provision and control of others; and sometimes in the cultural concept where a man is not being considered a father until a male child is produced.
This mindset is presented to boys from a young age as they aspire to be supermen who are unbothered by traumatic events, emotionally disconnected and focused on egocentric actions to prove their prowess in educational, business, social and political settings.
Defining masculinity using descriptions not limited to those showcasing strength, boldness, assertiveness, being 'man up' are some of the societal expectations and definitions of being a real man.
A man is expected to know what to do, when to do it and how to do it, bearing in mind that they should not express pain and to view those who do as weak, unreliable…soft.
In this male-only focused episode of Thinking Reimagined, Nifemi Oguntoye (Moderator), Tolu Oni (Finance Professional), Benny Finisher (Performing and Creative Artist) and Stanley Evans MBE (Deputy Chair, British Business Group- Nigeria and Environmentalist) have a heart-to-heart conversations on the need to explore the myriad of stereotypes in order to shift the mindset for well- informed ‘Boys To Men.'
