It's commonly said that men don't cry. This points to an illusion whereby the man isn't expected to cry even in the face of vulnerability and when things overwhelm him. Maybe because he's a man, and as much as he's human, much more is expected of this kind of human. We might disagree, but the reality is that a man carries this unreal burden and this hinges on the premise that he's a man, and responsibility comes with bearing such.
There has been an uprising conversation and advocacy that begs men to learn to voice or show their emotions, and not hide them in the guise of being a man. Most of all is that of learning to cry out his pains. While men try to hide their fears, tears, pains and all, the conversations encourage men not be hard, but to learn to leave emotions to play their part. This is truly the case of the average man, for some reason, he's not supposed to cry. But you can't blame him when subconsciously, this is expected of him, and he just plays to the tune.
To correct this, there's need for a shift in the culture; where a man is not perceived as this invincible being that can do everything and not be hurt by anything. The high demands and expectations set upon him should likewise be considered. When it's seen this way, he has the peace and rest in mind to see things as they are and understand that he's but a human, after all. When this is not addressed this way, he sees a necessity to keep to the expectations, even when they crush him. And, he can't be seen crying.
From childhood, this needs to be addressed as well. This could be traced to the character development even as a child; before he grows into a man who can't cry. I know there's the part where a man has to be a man; where he has to boldly face situations and all that. It could be by gender role or cultural disposition. However, the boy should know while he's still a boy that he can cry. Not to make statements suggesting he's a man, so why is he acting that way?
I'm not discarding this in all senses; some situations demand it. But making a template for all situations even when the boy child just wants to be a child and maybe feel the warm embrace of his mother, or someone to comfort, encourage him and let him know it's well. He's rather admonished to hide it and be a man, with little or no regard even for his emotional state. To an extent, this is an issue I consider stems from a disposition many men received, even from a tender age of a child.
Society will need to do better, and the man as well. This character shouldn't be an inherited syndrome that gets passed down to generations. Humanity shouldn't be stripped from him because he's a man and that much is expected of him for being a man. Nevertheless, I don't think we can take away the pressure that hangs on a man to be a man. More than a disposition, it's an inherent character. The issue is how this is channelled, without bridging the sea of his emotions.