Former United States President, Barack Obama, has advised that young men need friendships that help them grow emotionally and understand others better.
News360 Info reports that he shared this during an episode of Michelle Obama’s podcast, IMO, where he spoke alongside his wife and brother-in-law, Craig Robinson.
Obama said young boys should be around different kinds of people, not just family members or men who fit traditional roles.
He explained that exposure to varied role models helps them see that success is not limited to sports or money.
According to him, boys benefit from interacting with different men who can offer them a wider perspective on life and masculinity.
Reflecting on his own life, Obama said he had a professor in college who was openly gay.
He said the man played a significant role in helping him think differently about people and life.
He described the professor as someone honest, kind, and willing to correct him when he was wrong.
That experience, he said, taught him how to be more understanding.
“I had a gay professor in college at a time when openly gay folks still weren’t out a lot, who became one of my favorite professors and was a great guy and would call me out when I started saying stuff that was ignorant. You need that to show empathy and kindness”, he said.
