Alongside all this, men are taught that the highest indicator of success is economic – our financial worth is synonymous with our value as people. The constant bombardment of advertising reinforces the notion that to buy more is to be more. We are trained to be in competition with one another, and rewarded for ruthlessness. Empathy and emotional understanding are regarded as weaknesses. If you believe that men are basically decent and wired towards compassion and connection, then the current environment puts us in conflict with our nature as human beings.