The Everyman

Who is the Everyman?Funny you should ask (or not) that question.  Unfortunately, there is no easy answer, but most of us have a good idea of our perception of the Everyman. Let’s start off with where and why this is really a discussion.   Fictionalized or not, there many times where men find themselves getting the raw side of life.  We see it movies, books, and finally at some point in all of our lives.  The Everyman is all around us as well.  He can be our neighbor, our best friend, our brother, a professor, anyone.  So again, who is the Everyman? Here is a guide on how to spot the Everyman.

1.  Awkward.  Now remember, the Everyman isn’t always the Everyman.  And awkwardness is no different.  A man in this phase of his life will almost always carry the torch of awkwardness, and it is very evident.  This is due to his lack of faith in pretty much everything, and is at a deficiency of self-awareness.  Whatever you do, don’t point the awkwardness out, unless you want more of it…exponentially.  More on cures for the Everyman below. 
2. Unaware.  This goes along with the lack of self-awareness mentioned above.  Most Everymen will be spaced out, and unaware of most of what is happening around them.  Their brains have been filled with disappointment, grief, or a multitude of other emotions, and have thus imploded on themselves.  They may continue like this, until everything settles down in their heads, but until then they may be hard to have any sort of useful conversation with.
3. Skittish. The Everyman, in his state of apathy and aloofness, is emotionally shell-shocked.  Remember this, and watch both your words and your actions.  What you DON’T want to do is set them off on some sort of tangent.  Nobody’s happy after that.  Trust me. 

So how does a man hit this stage of “Everyman-ness”? It can be a multitude of things.  

• Emotional stress/shock.  This is generally due to some sort of relationship trauma, and it can either be something that has been going on for a long time (lack of relationships, etc.) or it can be some sort of shocking break-up and the like that can really push a man over the edge. 
• Work stress.  This world is full of stressful things, and the dog-eat-dog world of corporate America is enough to drive even the sanest and hardiest of men into deep depression.  
• Moral shock. Another thing we can contribute to society is that of the degradation of moral values.  This is especially troubling for older men, who grew up in a much better age, values-wise.  A man like this can see something going on, and it can hit him deep down in his soul, showing him how much our society has degraded.  This can really cause stress for any guy, no matter who he is.  

So what can we, as friends and members of society, do?  Well, space is the biggest answer to that problem.  A man going through this stage of apathy does not generally want any help.  What he wants is time to think and figure out what the heck is going on in his mind, his soul, and his heart.  At some point, you may find it worthy to offer advice and help, but be wary and considerate when offering.  Use your best judgment when helping one of these poor guys out.  

 

Required viewing:

Dan in Real Life 

Stranger than Fiction