We weren’t born emotionally closed—someone taught us to be.

In this episode, we unpack where men learned to suppress their feelings, how emotional shutdown became “strength,” and why that lesson is costing us more than we realize.

In Who Taught Us to Bottle It Up?, Mind Before Muscle takes a hard, honest look at the origins of male emotional suppression. From childhood phrases like “boys don’t cry” to cultural expectations around toughness, productivity, and silence, this episode explores how men’s mental health has been shaped—often unintentionally—by family, school, sport, work, and society at large.

We dive into how bottling emotions affects men’s mental health, emotional regulation, relationships, self-worth, and stress levels. We examine why anger often becomes the only “acceptable” emotion, how suppressed feelings show up as burnout, anxiety, depression, and isolation, and why so many men struggle to talk—even when they desperately want to. This isn’t about blame; it’s about awareness, understanding, and breaking cycles that no longer serve us.