Research is consistent about this across all studies. Boys come into the world with a broader range of emotional expressions than girls. So, why would there be a sex difference? Think about this. People are people, correct? Of course, there are sexual differences, and this is how the species survives. But why would this emotional distinction exist? The research on male and female infants is clear and consistent. Boys come into the world with a broader range of emotions than girls. Given what we know about evolution, there must be an adaptive reason for this. What could it be? Why would males need access to a broader range of feeling states than females?

Let’s look at the caveman. Both male and female are out hunting and gathering in order to collect food for survival. However, at some point, the female will be pregnant, give birth, and stay in the cave to care for the young. The male will continue hunting to provide for the family. To be a successful hunter, what do you need?

1. Stealth: The ability to be present and not be detected by the others.
2. Accuracy: The ability to fire at the enemy to inflict the most damage.
3. Assessment: The ability to acquire the parts necessary for survival.

The caveman must not only be able to support his family, but he also has to be able to create new opportunities for his family to survive. To me, that seems to fit the requirement of having a broader emotional capability than the female. Obviously, he also gets more exposure to the wild and more challenges related to survival. That will require very keen emotional senses. So, somewhere between the caveman days and the present, the culture has changed, leading to a change in the characteristics expected of the male population.

I am sure that the change was adaptive. That is what humans do. They adapt to the needs of the environment. Given that truth, I would like to propose that we make a significant adaptive change for the present. Our culture no longer needs hunter-gatherers. The advantages in society have provided more leisure for all people and more intellectual challenges, leading to productive use of creativity and spontaneity. Men are now active participants in childcare because they no longer have to stalk the local prey for food. Men are engaged in the creative arts and a variety of leisure activities. Surely, this gives an opportunity for more emotional connection and social problem solving.

The challenge is how to accomplish this and return men to their natural talent for experiencing a wider range of feelings. Reading this essay and realizing that men are born to experience and express feelings is the first step in that change.