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In December, I made a post titled “There’s an Epidemic Among Men: And it’s affecting our mental, physical, and spiritual health.” At the time of writing this, if you’re interested in data at all, that post has experienced 38x the reach and engagement compared to my average post. This is something we must be talking more about. Too much is at stake if we don’t.
Men are 3.5x more likely to die by suicide than women. One in five men say they don’t have a single close friend.
There’s an epidemic affecting all of us and in this video, I’m addressing it specifically as it relates to men.
The epidemic is loneliness.
So many of us are walking through life feeling isolated, unseen, and disconnected.
As men, society tells us to keep it together and tough it out. Vulnerability? That’s seen as weakness. Asking for help? That’s for someone else.
But here’s the truth: connection isn’t optional—it’s essential. We’re made for it. Sharing our struggles doesn’t make us weak; it makes us human.
This isn’t just about feeling alone. It’s about feeling misunderstood, like no one truly gets you. And the price of that? It’s high—broken relationships, declining mental health, and a constant sense of failure.
It doesn’t have to stay this way.
Change starts with small, meaningful steps. It starts with us rejecting the outdated myths about what it means to be a man. It starts with showing up for each other in real, honest ways.
You don’t have to carry it all by yourself. You’re not alone in this.
We had a few snow days here in Nashville that inspired me to exercise a different creative muscle and create a long form video essay—something I’ve wanted to do for a while.
I know it’s long, but there’s a lot to talk about here. So I hope you find it encouraging and inspires you to pursue deeper connection in your life.
If it does, please share it with other men in your life. Let’s continue this conversation.
With care,
Blake
P.S. Let me know in the comments if you like this format. I know this is a long video, but I’ve always loved making videos and have been thinking about doing more like this in addition to my writing. Your feedback is appreciated as I balance doing what I really enjoy here, and providing you high quality work that can help you foster healthier relationships. Read More
There's an Epidemic Among Men
Part 1 - In America, friendship groups have significantly declined. A survey on friendships found that men have experienced a sharp decrease in close friendships. Thirty years ago, 55% of men had at least six close friends; now, only 27% do. Furthermore, the percentage of men with no close friends has increased fivefold. Women have also seen a decline, albeit less drastic; from 41% having six or more close friends in 1990 to 24% today, with 10% having no close friends.
A Guided Journaling Exercise That Actually Brings You Clarity
I know we say it every time, but it’s hard to believe that we’re wrapping up another year, which invites us to reflect on the past and dream about the future.
To help you with that reflection, and since there are a ton of new people here, I’m sharing an exercise from earlier this year that seemed to help many folks. Here’s just a few of the comments it received:
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