The manly manifesto

Men want to be the little spoon. They can cry and should. They want a break just as much as women do. Nikhil Taneja crafts a new masculinity code for 2024 and beyond

- Karishma Kuenzang

It doesn't matter what your new year goals are, or even if you have them at all. To survive a changing world, everyone's reassessing what they thought they knew and unlearning fondly held truths. For women, the messages come wrapped in memes about empowerment, snarky pink Barbie blockbusters, and tweet-sized wisdom. For men, change is a little tricker, admits Nikhil Taneja. The 37year-old co-founder and chief of Yuvaa, and host of chat show Be A Man, Yaar! says that public narratives rarely focus on male identities. And yet, teaching moments are everywhere. Here's what he wishes more men understood about modern masculinity.

It’s OK to not be Superman. Strength is seen as an incredibly important factor for men in the social hierarchy. “But even men are afraid of cockroaches, lizards and the dark. It’s normal.”

Being the little spoon is so much fun. 

Hugs are beautiful. Men should cuddle. “Men should also hug other men. The only time most men are physical or intimate is with a woman. When they meet other men, they fist bump, handshake, tap on the other person’s back or get into an awkward hug. Fathers rarely hug their sons – I haven’t got my share – even though they hug their daughters. Why?”