--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So guys who are otherwise sensitive and…" description: "\"So guys who are otherwise sensitive and thoughtful say and do ridiculously dumb things to impress other guys. It's an enormous performance, but guys kn..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acf/michael-kimmel-24245_dumb_so-guys-who-are-otherwise-sensitive-and_3065344.jpg" --- # So guys who are otherwise sensitive and thoughtful say and… ![“So guys who are otherwise sensitive and thoughtful say and do ridiculously dumb things to impress other guys. It's an enormous performance, but guys know that if they fail, they'll be ridiculed as sissies mercilessly.” quote by Michael Kimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acf/michael-kimmel-24245_dumb_so-guys-who-are-otherwise-sensitive-and_3065344.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acf/michael-kimmel-24245_dumb_so-guys-who-are-otherwise-sensitive-and_3065344.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acf/michael-kimmel-24245_dumb_so-guys-who-are-otherwise-sensitive-and_3065344.jpg) > “So guys who are otherwise sensitive and thoughtful say and do ridiculously dumb things to impress other guys. It's an enormous performance, but guys know that if they fail, they'll be ridiculed as sissies mercilessly.” [Michael Kimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kimmel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Men may act foolishly to prove masculinity, fearing ridicule if they appear vulnerable. **In simple terms:** Men act dumb to seem tough. Key Takeaway Avoid performance for approval. Themes masculinity peer pressure identity performance vulnerability Mood anxious reflective Type sociological observational When to use this quote - high school social dynamics - online dating - workplace competition - team sports Key Concepts social conformity toxic masculinity self‑presentation Questions to Reflect On - Why do you feel you must prove yourself? - What are healthier ways to gain respect? A Different Perspective Such behavior can damage self‑esteem and relationships. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) [Thoughtful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughtful/) ## Related quotes > [At 170... I need to have a 97 percent performance. And some of the guys at 170, they need to have maybe an 85…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benson-henderson/at-170-i-need-to-have-a-97-percent-performance-and-some-of-the-guys/) [Benson Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benson-henderson/) > [Girls don't dress up to impress guys. Girls dress up to out dress other girls. If they wanted to impress guys, they would walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/girls-don-t-dress-up-to-impress-guys-girls-dress-up-to-out-dress/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [I just wanted to impress the guys in the neighborhood that I grew up with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarface/i-just-wanted-to-impress-the-guys-in-the-neighborhood-that-i-grew-up/) [Scarface](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarface/) > [I hope each week I grow and impress you guys and make you happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-alaina/i-hope-each-week-i-grow-and-impress-you-guys-and-make-you-happy/) [Lauren Alaina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-alaina/) > [I will build a great, great wall on our southern border. And I will have Mexico pay for that wall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-will-build-a-great-great-wall-on-our-southern-border-and-i-will/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Sometimes I lie awake at night thinking about all the dumb things I do every day... If I live to be eighty and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/sometimes-i-lie-awake-at-night-thinking-about-all-the-dumb-things-i/) [Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [“It is wrong that we associate the word 'dumb', especially pertaining to animals, with the inability to communicate in a common communal 'tongue' -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stafford-samuel-lakay/it-is-wrong-that-we-associate-the-word-dumb-especially-pertaining-to/) Stafford Samuel Lakay > [ \[I made in army\] all sorts of dumb things, but it did teach me a lot about the silk-screen process. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-mackenzie/i-made-in-army-all-sorts-of-dumb-things-but-it-did-teach-me-a-lot/) [Warren MacKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-mackenzie/) > [We have Democrats saying dumb things every single day, and Republicans as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-cleaver/we-have-democrats-saying-dumb-things-every-single-day-and-republicans/) [Emanuel Cleaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-cleaver/) > [I've done a lot of dumb things in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-momoa/i-ve-done-a-lot-of-dumb-things-in-my-life/) [Jason Momoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-momoa/) > [I have a skeptical and cranky side, and I'm forever puzzled why people believe the, seeming to me, dumb things that they choose to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/i-have-a-skeptical-and-cranky-side-and-i-m-forever-puzzled-why-people/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [“When smart people do dumb things it’s usually due to one of two things. The two things are greed and fear. They want something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/when-smart-people-do-dumb-things-it-s-usually-due-to-one-of-two/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [There is nothing Modern about doing dumb things for dumb reasons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-is-nothing-modern-about-doing-dumb-things-for-dumb-reasons/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [And sometimes it happened, for a time. That kind of love comes and goes and is hard to remember afterwards, like pain. 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In a way, 'Swingers' was the thing I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/i-always-wanted-to-make-big-action-movies-as-a-kid-and-that-was-my/) [Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/) > [Me seeing how thick my callous is on my hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-country/me-seeing-how-thick-my-callous-is-on-my-hand/) [Michael Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-country/) > [It is unfortunate to consider all lawyers as natural Satanists many are just dumb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-maslow/it-is-unfortunate-to-consider-all-lawyers-as-natural-satanists-many/) [Abraham Maslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-maslow/) > [I hate it when people come up to me on trains and ask 'Are you Soulja Boy?' If people want pictures or autographs, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soulja-boy/i-hate-it-when-people-come-up-to-me-on-trains-and-ask-are-you-soulja/) [Soulja Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soulja-boy/) > [I just don't like that you can either be ugly and smart or pretty and dumb, or ugly and nice or pretty and mean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-just-don-t-like-that-you-can-either-be-ugly-and-smart-or-pretty-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I turned back to the mirror, seeing that there were no lines on it. It was empty. "What happened to my mirror?" I said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/i-turned-back-to-the-mirror-seeing-that-there-were-no-lines-on-it-it/) [Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/) > [I'm pretty cautious and not very athletic, so I've only had really dumb injuries, like sprained ankles and allergic reactions. 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