As a man, understand this early. You will offend somebody simply by being yourself. Be too assertive, you are controlling. Set boundaries; you are toxic. Refuse disrespect; you have anger issues. Lead; you are controlling. Stand your ground; you are difficult. Provide; you are doing the bare minimum. Say no; you are selfish. Welcome to being a man in an age where everybody has an opinion about what kind of man you should be. But do not make the mistake of trying so hard to please everybody that you eventually abandon yourself. Do not trade your masculinity for acceptance. Be a good man. Be kind. Be compassionate. Be emotionally intelligent. Apologise when you are wrong. Treat women with dignity. Protect your children. Honour your commitments. Know how to love without losing yourself. But don't confuse kindness with weakness. Do not confuse emotional intelligence with emotional surrender. Do not confuse respect with submission to everybody's demands. And do not allow the fear of being labelled TOXIC to turn you into a man who is afraid to have convictions. You don't have to become a caricature of masculinity; loud, aggressive, arrogant and incapable of vulnerability. But neither should you become so terrified of offending people that you stop being masculine altogether. You are a man. Carry yourself like one. Stand for something. Take responsibility. Keep your word. Control your emotions without becoming emotionally dead. Protect what is entrusted to you. Build something. Accept consequences. Walk away from disrespect when necessary. And above all, don't let the world bully you into apologising for being masculine. You don't need everybody's approval. Ka m bịakwanụ.