All men are not created equal, although there are many stereotypes that society has placed on men over the ages. Often, these stereotypes are far from accurate and yet they have effectively put men into “boxes” that have limited them from becoming all that they could be. The following are ten of the most common stereotypes that have been placed on men.

1-They are all mechanically inclined. While this may be true of some men, it is far from true for others. There are many men who far prefer to employ the services of others when it comes to fixing things and not just because they’re too busy or tired to do it themselves. They may even employ women to do the fixing!

2-They don’t clean, cook, or care for kids. There are men who love to create gourmet meals in the kitchen. While we have a stereotype about men not cooking, we also stereotype chefs as men in those big white hats, generally. Just as many men like clean surroundings as women do, so cleaning is necessary for those who don’t have someone doing it for them. There are even men who enjoy the task. Men love their children and are perfectly capable of caring for them just as well as women are. Not only are they capable, but when they do provide care, they find the bonding and nurturing that they are doing quite beneficial and fulfilling.

3-They are all focused on looks when it comes to relationships. Men are hard-wired to be more visually stimulated than women are. This is a scientific fact. However, that does not mean that they are focused on that when it comes time to find someone that they want to share a life and a family with. Men are not as shallow as they have been given credit for.

4-They are stronger than women. There are some men who are more muscular than women. In fact, the majority are, but that doesn’t really mean that they are stronger. Women give birth! That says quite a bit. Women may not be built with the same muscle structure as men are, but when push comes to shove, women can accomplish amazing feats of strength, some of which many men could not.

5-They aren’t scared of things. Anyone who thinks that men don’t have just as many fears as women do is just plain wrong. They may not be as scared to walk alone at night or to enter an empty home, but men have fears that are just as strong and have the potential to be just as debilitating.

6-They aren’t sensitive and they don’t have the need for softness and gentleness. Although men may not show their sensitivity as openly as women, due to stereotypes that say they shouldn’t, they have feelings that run just as deep and care should be taken that people, especially the women who care about them, don’t produce hurts that the man holds inside. Men also need to have softness and gentleness in their lives which they usually find by pairing up with the “fairer sex”.

7-They cheat more than women. If men are cheating, they are doing so with women who are willing to do the same thing. Cheating in relationships is not a one-sided thing. As the saying goes, it takes two to tango.

8-They aren’t bothered by their age. Any woman who has lived with a man through his 40s and/or 50s can attest to the fact that men do have a mid-life crisis and that it is very real. Just as women have menopause, men have this mid-life crisis that can be extremely upsetting for them.

9-They want younger women. Hollywood loves to perpetuate the myth of the 50 year old man who wants to get the 20 year old woman, but for the majority of men, this is not a reality. A man wants a woman who will care for him, relate to him, and grow old with him when he is seeking someone to be in a relationship with.

10-They have higher sex drives than women. Stereotyping the sexual needs and desires of the genders is a huge mistake to make and it is not always accurate. Women are created with the same need for physical union as men are. It is only the specifics that differ for most men and women. When a couple is able to identify the needs of one another and meet them, their sexual drives will generally come right into alignment.

Stereotypes are almost never realistic for the majority of people and they tend to have a negative impact on society as a whole. Stereotypes are also very difficult to break away from, even if a person really wants to get out from under them. Once people have developed these preconceived notions, they can stick for centuries. The ten misconceptions about men that have been developed and believed in for all of these years have not benefited them, nor has it benefited anyone else. That is the very nature of stereotypes.