[3 Hook Headlines] Toggle open for headlines: MASSIVE Study of 15,808 Men — Only 3% Are Actually Toxic New Zealand Researchers Just Handed the 97% Their Identity Back The Science Is In — Being "Manly" Doesn't Make You a Bad Guy
[Hook & Introduction]
Fellas — good morning and welcome.
Today we're starting with VINDICATION.
The kind backed by the largest study of its kind ever published.
Because I know a lot of you — especially the Gen X men here — are TIRED.
Tired of being lumped in with a fringe.
Tired of "toxic masculinity" being dropped on you like it's YOUR problem.
Well.
Researchers in New Zealand just ran the numbers.
And the numbers don't lie.
[Why It Matters]
Here's the headline:
Fifteen thousand, eight hundred and eight men.
That's not a sample size — that's a STATEMENT.
Researchers pulled from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study and analyzed 15,808 heterosexual men aged 18 to 99.
Every age group. The full spectrum.
They measured eight key traits — sexism, narcissism, sexual prejudice, disagreeableness, social dominance, resistance to domestic violence prevention, and more.
Then used Latent Profile Analysis to identify what kinds of men actually exist.
And here's what they found:
Thirty-five point four percent of men — the LARGEST single group — showed LOW levels across ALL harmful indicators.
Not low-ish. Not moderate. LOW across the board.
Another 53.8% fell into two moderate profiles — low-to-moderate on most traits.
That means 89.2% of men don't fit ANY definition of toxic.
And the hostile, truly toxic profile?
Three point TWO percent.
THREE PERCENT, fellas.
Published in January 2026 in Psychology of Men & Masculinities by researcher Deborah Hill Cone and her team.
This is the REAL number.
[5 Conversation Starters]
Here are FIVE things you need to bring into every conversation about this story:
ONE — According to the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study, the largest group of men — 35.4% — showed LOW scores across every single harmful indicator measured. That's not a minority. That's the PLURALITY.
TWO — The Psychology of Men & Masculinities study found that 53.8% of the sample clustered into two moderate groups. Add those together and you've got nearly nine in ten men who are fine.
THREE — The researchers found that strongly identifying as "a man" had almost NO predictive link to toxic behavior. According to this study, being proud of your masculinity does not make you dangerous. Full stop.
FOUR — The term "toxic masculinity" was actually COINED in 1990 by a psychologist named Shepherd Bliss — and it was originally used WITHIN the men's movement as a critique of a specific narrow behavior set. It was never meant to describe all men. Ever.
FIVE — According to the research team, over 10,000 articles on toxic masculinity have been published since 2020 alone. The conversation has exploded — but the data showing most men are fine? That's been missing. Until now.
[Context & Key Insights]
Let me give you the full picture.
The study used Latent Profile Analysis — it maps actual attitudes across eight measured dimensions to find what kind of profile men actually fit.
They found FIVE distinct profiles.
The ATOXIC group — 35.4% — low on everything.
Two MODERATE groups — 53.8% combined — low to moderate on most traits.
A BENEVOLENT TOXIC group — 7.6% — high benevolent sexism.
And the HOSTILE TOXIC group — 3.2% — high sexism, narcissism, resistance to domestic violence prevention.
That last group is real. Nobody's pretending otherwise.
But it's THREE PERCENT.
And here's the part that should land hardest:
The researchers looked at gender identity centrality — how important is being "a man" to your sense of self.
For men in the toxic profile, it was only SLIGHTLY more central than for everyone else.
Masculine pride is NOT a gateway to toxic behavior. The data says so.
Researcher Deborah Hill Cone's team: we need to SEPARATE harmful expressions of masculinity from healthy, constructive ones.
The science is confirming what most of us already knew.
[Practical Takeaway]
So what do you actually DO with this?
First — know the number. 3.2%. That's the real figure for the hostile toxic profile in a sample of nearly 16,000 men. Carry that number. Use it.
Second — use this as your morning accountability anchor. If you're showing up here, investing in your fitness, your mindset, your healthy lifestyle, your relationships — you are not the problem. You never were.
Third — this is not an excuse to ignore bad behavior. Three percent is still real people causing real harm. Be precise — call out bad behavior accurately, not wholesale condemn 97% of men who are doing the work.
Fourth — share this with your crew. The men in your circle absorbing years of being told they're the problem deserve to hear this. This is what real talk looks like. This is what informative conversations do — they change the frame with facts.
And fifth — own your identity. Identifying strongly as a man is NOT a risk factor for toxic behavior. The study said so. Be proud of who you are.
[Audience Reflection]
Here's your question for today.
Think about a moment when your masculinity was treated as the problem — not something you DID, just who you ARE.
Now knowing what this study found — does it change how you see that moment?
Sit with that.
[Community Engagement]
Drop it in the comments right now:
Does this study change how you talk about masculinity?
Or were you already living like the 97%?
If this hit home — share it with a man who needed to hear it.
This is your daily morning motivation, fellas. This is your morning accountability partner doing its job.
Start your day right, men — armed with actual data.
[Empowering Close]
Fellas — you are NOT your worst fringe.
Ninety-seven percent of men, according to the largest study of its kind, are not the villain in someone else's narrative.
You are allowed to carry your identity with CONFIDENCE.
Be the man who shows up — for his health, his relationships, his community, his fitness, his business, his life.
Be the 97%.
Because that's where the real strength has always lived.
That's your men's conversations for Thursday March 26th — live on your morning show.
I'm here every morning — your daily accountability partner, your real talk, your entertaining conversation built on facts, business, technology, AI, and everything that shapes your life.
Stay strong, stay grounded, and I'll see you tomorrow.
BAPL.