[fr_freak]

I once witnessed a man be horribly humiliated by a supervisor in front of others. Later we were talking and I wanted so much to give him a hug and show support, and I thought he could have used that.

That's where the clap on the shoulder comes in. "Screw that a-hole" you say, as you give a pat on the shoulder and walk to the coffee machine. Alternatively, you say "Beer after work?" and then you proceed to get intoxicated while you talk about how much of an a-hole the boss is.

[Jamestown1630]

I guess that’s the ‘man’ way :-)

But I think there are times when men probably really want to show physical affection but feel very conflicted about it. Some cultures - like my husband’s Italian one - seem more relaxed and not quite so conflicted about it.