Quote Originally Posted by Freedomlover
It is called "growing up". Youth was spent trying to please parents and teachers, young adulthood in trying to please employers and "fit in" with the crowd. By maturity (35+) we are fairly firmly set in our ways: accustomed to going along to get along. Generally speaking we (men) are not rockers of the boat. But living according to the expectations of others, while in part unavoidable, is an exercise in futility and leaves most men with a haunting feeling of unhappiness.

There is a reason why men above 45 or 50 often do things that make them seem somewhat unbalanced. The reason is that they have smothered themselves by years of always doing what was expected and have finally realized that they have a duty not just to others, but to themselves. Expression of that realization takes many forms. From hot sports cars to simple kilts the impetus is frequently (though of course not always) the same: the demonstration of independence.

That we remain unsure of ourselves is evidenced by our more or less constant need for reinforcement and support. So we are not really as independent as we would like to think, are we?
As usual Freedom this is an excellent post- Thank you. your right on target.