Dear Joseph,
I think it must be a male thing, but we men seem to have this impulse to want to share stories of pain and show off “battle wounds.”
I’m as guilty as the next male. I’ve got some good scars that I’m pretty proud of. And now that I’m married I’ve noticed that the bragging rights begin to extend to my family, especially crazy birth stories. The fact that you were 10 1/2 pounds when you were born garners serious “wow” factor when the storytelling begins.
I guess it’s a part of proving how masculine we really are. There is something about having the biggest fish. But like any good thing, it can get out of hand.
I don’t know that there is a “clear line” on this one. Perhaps the best we can do is to be observant of how others react to so we know when to omit details or simply withhold from sharing.
One good measure may be to honestly look at how much attention we draw to ourselves at the expense of comfort to others who didn’t really need to see the puss oozing out of your most recent soccer scrape.
Love,
Dad
Rule 7: Show nothing to your friend that may upset or disturb him.
