I re-watched LOST recently and saw a character I admire call people “brother”. He did this to show people that he was on their side and saw them as his own family, that he would defend them in arguments even if he disagreed with them. I found it really cool and have let it slip a few times. I would love to make people feel secure that I have their back and want the best for them even when we disagree. I wondered if it is OK for women to call men “brother” or if this is emasculating/rude/inappropriate in a way I haven’t thought of? Would this make men feel uncomfortable or mocked? I don’t understand male rules for socialising but don’t want to insult anyone. My (guy) friend showed me the Bill Burr sketch a while ago and explained to me that an offer as simple as “do you want a cookie?” can be an insult because the patriarchy tells men that they have to be super manly, and apparently cookies are not super manly. So offering a man a cookie can be insulting depending on the man, as it implies he isn’t super manly (I think?). This obviously doesn’t apply to all men, as you guys aren’t a monolith. This made me aware that I am under-informed on how men socialise, so I thought it was worth checking this with men before I bring it into my vocabulary. Thanks! (FWIW I am in the UK. I’m not sure if the answer here differs by country.) submitted by /u/Chad_Wife
Originally posted by u/Chad_Wife on r/AskMen
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