Men, the bread winners, and alphas. The confident proclaimers of manliness that have ruled the planet since the beginning of time. The macho sex that is the target of so much hate and love all over the world. But are they as strong as they claim to be? If you know a man personally, you’re already aware of the big ego hiding behind a tough façade that isn’t ready to admit that a man, after all, is a sensitive, vulnerable human being who has fears, inhibitions, and insecurities. Being in charge comes with lots of responsibilities and expectations for this sex. Expectations to meet a certain standard that keeps all men up at night. Fears that they’ll never really admit. So, we’ve compiled below a list of the top 15 things that a man is scared to admit he’s insecure about.

15. His Body

In this age of beauty, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that men, just like women, don’t feel good in their own skin. Every man thinks at least once a day about why he needs to change the way he looks. From his arms, his abs to the tiniest details on his legs, a man is pretty much insecure about everything there is to the human body. Men will go to extreme lengths to look a certain way, be it a regular trip to the gym, or a controlled diet. So, if you think your man didn’t notice the way you swooned when you saw the new edition of GQ Magazine, and then took a good look at his own body right after, think again.

14. His Hair

Ladies, your hair troubles are nothing compared to those your man faces. Men always know when their hairline is starting to recede. Those shampoo commercials aren’t helping them feel confident either. You’d be surprised to know how many “home-remedies” men will secretly experiment with so that they can have the sort of hair your favorite actor does. Men also suffer from what women call “unwanted” hair. They’re always conscious about the hairy chest, those gorilla legs, and rainforest arms. So, it’s either too little hair or too many for these poor fellas. It’s safe to assume that he didn’t go bald this summer because it was hot, and that he’s not really wearing those full sleeve shirts to look important.

13. His Sexuality

Being a woman is easy. Even if women don’t want to adjust to societal norms and expectations, they can always find a way out. But men will always sweat the little stuff when it comes to their masculinity and their preferences. It’s more important for a man to establish what his orientation is and who he wants to be identified as than you would think. Men don’t want to be called gay when they’re not, and straight when they’re not. They will keep things as small as their hand gestures in check so that people don’t mistake them for something they’re not. That is probably why most men seem so aware of themselves.

12. His Emotions

“Boys don’t cry” and “Suck it up and be a man.” Sounds familiar? Well, that just about sums up all the reasons why a man will never be able to express his emotions. From the time they are little boys to when they fully embrace manhood, all men are told to keep their feelings and emotions in check. So, naturally, most of them try to distance themselves as much as they can from what they feel. Because from all the years of suppressing themselves emotionally, they don’t really know what to do with them anymore. That’s probably why a man will always be reluctant to express himself. Even in front of people closest to them, men will always go to extreme lengths to keep their emotions and feelings hidden.

11. The Ability to Provide

Men are trained to provide from a tender age. They are always expected to provide for their families and people close to them. Which is why it’s easy to understand why a man may begin to feel that he’s not able to do enough. With all their virtues and vices, men have always been the caretakers. It’s an inherent responsibility they take upon their shoulders. So, a man is always worrying about how he will protect his loved ones, what he needs to do to provide for them, and how he is going to fulfill their needs. Because at the end of the day, no man wants to hear that he’s incapable.

10. His Bank Balance

Money makes the mare go. That’s why it’s so important for a man to always have plenty money to burn. Believe us when we say that a man with some change in his pocket is a happy man. Men are very insecure about the sort of cash they are earning and the figure in their bank statements. The bigger it is, the better they will feel about themselves. Having enough money is also tied to a man’s ability to provide. And in turn, his ability to court his favorite lady. Which makes it even more important for him to be able to make good greens.

9. Society’s Expectations

What does society want from a man? Does the world want men to be masculine and macho? Or should a man be something completely different? These questions drive all men nuts. With the rise in feminist movements, the role of a man in today’s society is under constant scrutiny. Any and everything a man does is subject to some sort of disapproval. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that men have it tougher than they did ever before. And so, enter a man’s insecurities and uncertainties about himself and what he needs to be. Needless to say, our masculine champions will never admit that they’re secretly losing hair and losing sleep over what people think.

8. His Career

Men don’t have a choice like women to get a job. They simply must. That’s how it’s been since the beginning of time. Women are the givers of life and men the caretakers. Perfectly suited roles except that times have changed. Women now compete with men in all fields and aspects of life. Whereas men are still held down by these predefined roles. No man wants to sit home and not have a job. Or a career that can give him the tools to make ends meet. And if a woman has a job that gives more than he does, he’s bound to feel jealous and intimidated. Most men will be hesitant to tell people what they do for a living if it’s not according to acceptable societal standards. Men suffer more than women from depression, anxiety, and stress after losing a job. So, it’s not difficult to understand why a man’s career is one of those things he will quickly feel insecure and helpless about.

7. His “Package”

No product was ever made that didn’t exploit insecurities in human beings one way or another. That’s how we know why miracle drugs that increase “size” are making up most of the pop-up ads in our browsers. No man was ever satisfied with what he had between his legs. If he is, he’s a rarity. “Not long enough”, “not thick enough”, “too discoloured” are only some of the many phrases men use to describe their “lower body” problems. If a man expects to get some action after a date night, believe us, he’ll give his “package” more attention than anything else about his body. Men don’t want women to talk about them and not remember their “downtown” in good words. A man who isn’t satisfied with his “stuff’ will suffer from continuous anxiety and stress throughout his life, which can only be taken away by a woman who cares about more than what’s in his pants.

6. His Beard

“There’s a word for men without beards: women”.

Here’s why a man’s beard is distinct from all of his other hair problems, its EVERYTHING to him. Ever since the beard became a fashion statement, every man has tried growing it at least once. If you’ve ever noticed men looking at themselves in the mirror, you’ve seen how they will continuously fix their beard until they’re satisfied with how it looks. Just like the hair on a woman’s head is important to her femininity, a man’s beard takes #1 place on a list of things vital to his masculinity. You wouldn’t believe the amount of distress a man will feel if his beard doesn’t grow like he wants it to. Hence, this makes it on our list of insecurities he won’t tell anyone about.

5. Their Past “Encounters”

A man doesn’t want to know the number of other men a woman has been with. And he doesn’t want a woman to know how many women he’s been with. The number may be higher or lower than the number he’s comfortable with letting on. There could be many reasons why men are insecure about the number of women they’ve taken home. It may leave an impression that they’re not serious about being with someone. Women could think they’re inexperienced and therefore unable to satisfy their “needs”. Either way, men don’t want to be judged based on how many “encounters” they’ve had, especially by a woman they’re in a meaningful relationship with. So, every man will find himself thinking about how to change the topic whenever such questions come up in the conversation.

4. His Skill in Bed

We know some men only want to do the “deed” and get their end of the deal, but that’s not true for the rest. Just like women, men also want to please behind closed doors. A man will always be conscious of what he’s doing and how you’re responding to his “maneuvers”. A man will always feel insecure about how he’s performing during your “session”. You better believe us when we say that he will be giving close attention to you during the act. In a list of ten things that hurt his ego the most, it’s safe to say his woman faking an “O” is on the top! And if she’s not leaving the bed happier than she was before, he’s going to stay up all night thinking about what went wrong!

3. The Beau from the Past

This one is our favorite probably because it’s so relatable. Jealousy in a relationship can be healthy until your man becomes a private investigator digging up all the dirt there is to his woman’s past relationships. Yes, that is a thing far more common than you’d believe. Men will always feel unsure of themselves around a woman who has been in a relationship(s) before. Simply because they always dread being compared to someone else. Many a time, especially when they hit a rough patch in the relationship, men will ask themselves questions like: “Is she still in love with him?”, “Does she love me more than she loved him?” and “Was he better than me?”. So, if a woman has failed to draw clear lines for him, a man will always be insecure about her past.

2. The Role in the Relationship

What does a woman really want from a man? This question has kept many men awake at night. Should he be caring, sweet and sensitive? Or is he supposed to take control and be the boss around her? It’s very confusing. Confusing enough to make a man unsure of himself and the things he does. Most men suffer from self-esteem problems during their relationships. And it’s usually because they’re not certain about what and who they’re supposed to be.

1. Other Men

Imagine being the center of everyone’s attention until one day, someone else comes along and takes all of that away from you. You may or may not get over it. But it’ll take a toll on your self-esteem and ability of self-acceptance.

Here’s the deal with men, they HATE, and by hate we mean absolutely loathe and despise, any man who they even slightly feel threatened by. There’s an underlying jealousy in every man that will come to play almost instantly when another man is in their space. Men cannot bear being overshadowed by other men. They’ll go to extreme lengths to reclaim the love, respect and adoration they lose when someone else enters their radius. Most of the hate crimes committed by men against men were either over a job, a woman, or something else that they thought had been taken away from them by another man. While most men learn to deal with it, others will end up doing something extremely stupid because of this, making other men the source of the most destructive type of insecurity a man will ever face.