Dhar Mann
Dhar Mann

Jason Wilson: Why Men Get Angry, Shut Down & Push Away the People They Love

August 10, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Jason Wilson: Why Men Get Angry, Shut Down & Push Away the People They Love

When a viral video in 2016 showed Jason Wilson kneeling beside a crying boy who couldn't break a board—and telling him that all men cry—the response was overwhelming. His nonprofit had to shut down for two days. Men called from across the world: wrestlers, firefighters, executives. They weren't calling about the boy. They were calling about themselves. "We've perfected hiding pain," Wilson says. "It's unbelievable."

Wilson runs The Union, a Detroit-based nonprofit that has served youth for 23 years, combining martial arts with emotional stability training. His central argument is that men have been conditioned from childhood to use only a few emotional "crayons" out of a full box—mostly anger—while women use all 64. The result is a communication gap that damages relationships and leaves men "emotionally incarcerated."

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:00) **Opening Ads** - Geico and Sprite commercials.
  • 2 (01:16) **Personal Crisis & The Viral Moment** - Jason describes punching holes in walls and the viral video of him affirming a crying boy.
  • 3 (02:52) **The Goal: Becoming a “Comprehensive Man”** - Jason defines the ultimate takeaway for men: embracing their full humanity.
  • 4 (05:58) **The Science of Crying & Emotional Conditioning** - Jason explains the physiological and psychological reasons men struggle to express emotions.
  • 5 (09:46) **Near-Death Experience & Spiritual Surrender** - Jason recounts a car accident that foreshadowed a later spiritual transformation.
  • 6 (15:37) **The Crayon Box Analogy: The Communication Gap** - Jason explains why men and women struggle to communicate, using the crayon box metaphor.
  • 7 (17:39) **How Women Can Help Men Open Up** - Jason gives direct advice for women, based on his own marriage.

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Show Notes

What happens to a little boy when he is told that "big boys don't cry"? He grows up to become an emotionally incarcerated man, unable to process his pain, hiding behind a facade of stoicism, anger, and performance.
In this episode, global speaker, best-selling author, and founder of The Union, Jason Wilson, sits down to share the raw, unfiltered truth about modern masculinity. Jason opens up about his own harrowing near-death experiences, including a devastating car crash with NBA star Chris Webber, and the exact moment his life crumbled to the ground at a Coca-Cola warehouse, forcing him to finally surrender his heart and face his unresolved trauma.
Together, we unpack the concept of the "comprehensive man," the dangerous reality of letting trauma "time-travel" into our current relationships, and why men substitute performance for peace. If you are a man struggling to find your true purpose beyond what you do, or a woman trying to understand the avoidant attachment style of the man you love, this conversation is the blueprint for healing.
"Peace is not the absence of chaos, adversity, and trials. It’s being in the midst of those things and remaining calm at heart." — Jason Wilson

What Happens Next... The Dhar Mann Podcast is the latest venture produced by Dhar Mann Studios. Hosted by Dhar Mann, the NY Times proclaimed "Moral Philosopher" himself, this podcast will invite the audience in on exclusive conversations between Dhar and his high-profile guests so that they can listen to never before told stories of their shocking journeys on their paths to success. Through their challenges Dhar will reveal unknown twists, setbacks, and turning points that almost derailed them - and how instead these moments led to their success. Each episode will highlight never before heard moments that shaped who they are today - and the lessons we all can learn from them.

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