From a psychological standpoint, people who act tough may be suffering from serious consequences according to a recent study. The research comes from Rutgers University in New Jersey where the psychologists examined the models in healthcare avoidance related to masculine contingencies of self-worth in both men and women. They found that the social roles of acting tough actually indicate a downstream of consequences that don’t imply mental strength because the barriers these individuals put up hinder their ability to seek help.
While it’s not clear why people feel the need to act tough, it really can implicate your physical and mental health. In fact, Stuart MacFarlane, an experience therapist, believes these actions can jeopardize your mental health but with self-improvement practices, you can become mentally stronger.
Masks Insecurities
Sometimes when individuals portray themselves as ‘tough’ or develop a persona that signals “I’m the best” can often hide a number of insecurities behind that tough exterior. Rather than expending all that energy to mask those insecurities, someone who is mentally strong will recognize those shortcomings and work towards making them better.
Skews Self-Worth
Those with the tough persona may by very concerned with their outward appearance to others and those opinions play a big role in how they perceive themselves. This type of self-destructive behavior can lead to depression by overvaluing what others think of them. Someone who wants to be mentally strong shouldn’t worry about proving themselves to others and they are willing to take ask for help to become stronger.
Suppress Emotions
There certainly are people who don’t show much emotion because they may believe it’s a sign of weakness and those who with the tough persona only feel comfortable with expressing anger. This hides their real emotions of sadness, fear, anxiety and even excitement. Those who are mentally strong are will to admit the times they feel uncertain and aren’t shy to shed a tear because ignoring those emotions are mentally draining.
Taking On Too Much To Handle
Confidence is a great trait for anyone to have, however, those with tough personas will believe they can accomplish anything and may overestimate their actual abilities to reach a goal. Those who are mentally strong will be prepared for the realities of a challenge and acknowledge the potential obstacles that stand between them and their goal.
All in all, it’s not healthy to put up a tough exterior because it comes with consequences that can affect you psychologically and physically.