Becoming Man.

Marshall and Anthony begin Becoming Man's series on shame by discussing defining shame and discussing its impact on family relationships across generations.

Anthony and Marshall discuss men’s experience with and relationship to work. The meaning and investment that men often put into work, work/life balance, and the connection between providing for a family and loving are explored.

Marshall continues to share the legacy of the most influential people in his life. This week, he explores the impact of good women on his growth as a man. 

Anthony and Marshall begin exploring the impact of good men in their lives.  In this week's episode, Marshall shares the positive impact that his father, a professional mentor, and a former boss had, and continue to have, on his life as an individual, professional, husband, and father.

Marshall and Anthony explore the role society and culture play in men's expression of violence, and the attribution of violence to masculinity. They ask the vital question, "can violence be a generative force and not only a destructive one?". The role of society in influencing individual behavior and the relational impact of this dynamic is also examined. 

In the episode, Anthony and Marshall move the discussion of violence out of the individual's self-concept and into relationships. The role that violence, and messages about violence, plays in the development of relationships, ways of relating, and parenting are addressed. Marshall and Anthony share personal stories about parenting and forming friendships, and discuss violence as both a destructive and generative force.

At some point in life, most males encounter the reality of violence in their social worlds.  This process often includes deciding how violence will play a role in a male's sense of self.  In this episode, Anthony and Marshal share personal experiences of how the capacity for and expression of aggression and violence formed their sense of self from childhood into adulthood.  The impact of this process for them is also addressed, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of these experiences on their lives today.

Marshall and Anthony begin Becoming Man's series on masculinity and violence by reflecting on the role of violence in the upbringing of males, violence in the context of relationships, and the male's relationship to violence in society.

Anthony and Marshall discuss what happens when people encounter information or insight that forces them to embrace growth and change or atrophy into a lesser version of themselves.  Both share personal stories of these experiences and contextualize the experiences within their ongoing process of maturation and growth as men.

This week, Anthony and Marshall respond to listener questions about the relationship between looking for meaning and purpose in life and mental health struggles. They answer these questions by sharing their own experiences of becoming fathers, pursuing their professional ambitions, and experiencing the risks and rewards of becoming vulnerable in relationships.