Hey Dr Sue — Why Are Men Such Assholes From Age 7 – 25?

I’m going to be honest, I almost didn’t answer this one. It just felt so incendiary. But since I’ve been recently complaining on my social media about censorship and how my stuff is being pulled down, it felt wrong not to address someone’s question.

But I have to say that I wholly disagree with the basic premise of this question. I don’t think that all men are assholes from 7–25.

First of all, in the United States up until 18 they’re still boys, not men.

I think it’s unfair to target kids of any sex as they go through puberty. These kids are experiencing massive changes to their bodies. There are all sorts of hormones running through them that makes things really confusing. They’re having all these emotions, often at very intense levels. And their bodies are changing in ways that are not only strange for them, but may make them different from their friends. And as many people can remember, middle school was a hard enough time without being seen as different.

And one of the things that kids are supposed to be doing during childhood is testing boundaries and learning about consequences. So yeah, most kids during this time are going to be a challenge. But I don’t think it’s fair to label them, and especially just the boys, as assholes.