Men’s Emotional Development

David Brooks in his recent New York Times article “The Heart Grows Smarter” summarizes the findings of the Grant Study.   One of the findings is that men who didn’t have at least one warm positive influence in their early life tend not to fare as well as those who did.    “But as this study progressed, the power of relationships became clear. The men who grew up in homes with warm parents were much more likely to become first lieutenants and majors in World War II. The men who grew up in cold, barren homes were much more likely to finish the war as privates”.   This finding is as we might have predicted.

Surprisingly however…he also makes the point that men who didn’t have this early influence in their life are not doomed but often develop emotionallly as they age. Men can be taught new tricks. “In case after case, the magic formula is capacity for intimacy combined with persistence, discipline, order and dependability. The men who could be affectionate about people and organized about things had very enjoyable lives”.

The Imago Men’s Groups help men develop their emotional palate and thereby improving their relationships and lives.