All Men Want Is to Be Loved
Why men crave appreciation more than anything else.
The truth is, all men just want to be loved.
It must have started with our ancestors — alone on the plains, reaching out from their groups, hunting in solitude or in the company of other men. They were driven by purpose — a cause greater than themselves — the care and love of the ones they sought to support.
Even then, it wasn’t just about survival. It was about meaning. The hunt wasn’t for glory; it was for belonging. Every cut, bruise, and scar was proof of love offered, not dominance claimed.
And upon their return, the men wished for one thing — the love and gratitude for what they had done.
It’s no wonder men struggle today. With emotions. With words. Even with themselves.
They struggle with their roles in society — what it means to be a man, what it means to give, and whether love is something they have to earn or something they’re allowed to receive.
Show me a hard, unloving man, and I’ll show you a man who never felt appreciated — whether he was or not.
It’s the feeling he craves more than anything. He doesn’t need a car, or fancy clothes, or any goddamn trinket you could possibly buy him.
He just wants a thank you. Some kind eyes. To feel desired.
That’s it. A happy man.
I kiss my son and say, “I love you. I’m proud of you. Now go be something.”
I do this daily, even though he’s a teenager — and you know what? He doesn’t mind. At least not as much as he lets on.
I do this because a boy — a man — needs to know unconditional love. The world will put conditions on him soon enough.
But to feel love… to know he’s loved — that man will move through the world differently.
That man will change it.