Why do men show so little interest in Lifelong Learning or self improvement. Even – or especially – when it comes to learning about themelves?
I ‘ve taught lots of courses at Queen ‘s University Belfast in the field of Personal Development. These workshops have ranged from Memory Improvement to Body Language, from Emotional Intelligence to Influencing Skills. They were all very well attended. But at a highly conservative estimate, the ratio of females to males in each class was about 5:2.
Last year I had four more scheduled: Decision Making, Thinking Skills, and Personal Power were the first three. A great number of students signed up for each one. I had about 20 per class. But the fourth one? It was on Masculinity. And the interest rate? Zero. Well, that ‘s not exactly true. Two brave guys signed up for it, but this wasn ‘t enough to allow the class to go ahead.
Now I know what you ‘re thinking. ‘Masculinity ‘ sounds more like a medical procedure than a course you might be interested in attending.
Here ‘s how I pitched it in the university brochure.
It ‘s a one day workshop. And a snip at £23. So why no interest? Well, that ‘s not entirely true either. A journalist showed some interest.
She said she would love to sit in as an observer.
I told her we first needed something to observe.
If you want more on this theme, read my blogs Why Are Men Such Fat, Stupid Wasters? #1 & #2
This is so true and I not too sure what cld be done. I suppose looking a bit more deeply into society, values and culture may change the perception/s of men in relation to personal development . I am however seeing more and more men at seminars now.
Thanks for the comment. My only conclusion about getting men interested in personal development is to call it something else. Pretend it’s a secret society or elite club. Call it a game or other form of entertainment. Advertise it as some sort of ‘system’ or scheme. Structure it like a competition with winners and losers. An appeal to machismo or vanity works wonders. Otherwise, you’re wasting your time. Harsh but true.