Men Keep Dipping Hands Down Their Pants, Even In Public And Here's The Shocking Reason

Although it's not new for men to put their hands down their pants, we're finally learning why they do it. Men appear to put their hands down their pants almost everywhere, whether they are in a club, on the train, standing on the street, or relaxing on the couch at home.

You would think that being out and about in public would be where the line would be drawn, but evidently not. However, doing so in the privacy of your own house is all well and good.

What is the cause of this behavior, then? Men will come up with a variety of justifications for having their hands down their pants in public, from keeping their hands warm to organizing their "goods."

But everyone wants to know the real story. Redditors have been demanding answers on r/AskUK and r/CasualUK because of this.

One Redditor went on r/Liverpool and asked, "Why do lads around here put their hands down their pants?" Additionally, another Redditor had to provide examples of similar incidents and wrote saying:

“Once was waiting for a bus with a Granny nearby me, she proceeds to stick her walking stick in the direction of the lads holding their members inside their grey tracksuit bottoms and shouts at them ‘if you keep touching it in public baby Jesus will make it fall off ‘. They all shouted at her, but hands came out into the daylight to feel only the air again.”

Why men keep putting their hands down their plants?

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Another person reported seeing "a guy cup his p*n*s throughout the duration of a bus ride," and to their "horror," he took outvhis hand to signal for his stop. What's the deal, then?

Men may put their hands down their pants in public for three reasons, according to performance coach and Body Language Decoder author Martin Brooks. It might be a case of "nervous energy," he said to The Times.

“Additionally, oxytocin is the love hormone released through physical contact. Sometimes people will do things like stroke their beard to self-comfort."

In her research, Dr. Terri Orbuch, a relationship expert, points out that the pandemic has shifted social norms, making previously taboo behaviors more common. Men, feeling more isolated and anxious, may resort to these actions for comfort and reassurance.

Orbuch suggests that fostering open dialogues about personal habits and boundaries can help mitigate discomfort in social settings. Encouraging respectful discussions about personal space and hygiene could lead to more considerate public behaviors, promoting a healthier social atmosphere post-pandemic.

"This curious public activity could be a strange combination of displacement and self-comforting behaviour.”

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Alternatively, the men may be "drawing attention to their masculinity in new ways" due to a shift in "societal norms." It's a status update that implies, "This is what's on my mind."

According to Brooks' analysis of the science underlying it, the third reason appears to be a defiant strategy: input. Darren Stanton, a behavioral specialist and former police officer, concurred. He went on to say:

“Previously people smoked and it was not necessarily because they liked it - I didn’t - but it is a way of telling older people, ‘I’ll do what I like.’”

Darren Stanton, a behavioral specialist and former police officer, concurred.

He went on to explain saying:

“Lots of things people did indoors have become more acceptable, it’s like going to the supermarket in pyjamas or being on speaker phone [in public]. Covid desensitised it.”

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Dr. Michele Gelfand, a cultural psychologist, emphasizes that behaviors like putting hands down pants often stem from stress-related coping mechanisms. She notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened anxiety levels, leading individuals to exhibit more self-soothing behaviors in public settings.

According to Gelfand, understanding these behaviors as responses to increased societal pressures can foster empathy rather than judgment. She suggests that mindfulness practices could help individuals manage these impulses, allowing for healthier coping strategies that don’t rely on such public displays.

Stanton went on to say that he had witnessed it in public as well, calling it a "cult thing" since they "need self-soothing gestures for reassurance, but from a body language point of view it can also be a deceptive gesture, suggesting they are hiding something." It seems that the question is more complex than first suggested.

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Understanding the reasons behind certain public behaviors is crucial for fostering a more empathetic society. Experts like Dr. Gelfand and Dr. Orbuch highlight how stress and changing social norms influence actions that might seem inappropriate. By promoting mindfulness and open communication, individuals can develop healthier coping mechanisms and respect for personal boundaries.

As we navigate post-pandemic life, cultivating awareness and empathy towards others' actions can create a more harmonious public environment, allowing everyone to feel more comfortable and accepted.