There's a study that says it hurts men's egos when women succeed

I stumbled upon a research-based explanation on what I complained about in that FHM rant.

According to a new study, men experience a blow to their self-esteem when their female partners experience success, even when they aren’t in direct competition. Women’s success also negatively impacts how men view the future of the relationship, researchers found.

“There is an idea that women are allowed to bask in the reflected glory of her male partner and to be the ‘woman behind the successful man,’ but the reverse is not true for men,” says study co-author Kate Ratliff of the University of Florida.

Women did not register negative emotions when their partners succeeded. Interestingly, when their male partners performed well on a task, women felt more confident about the future prospects of their relationship. Men, however, felt worse about the future of their relationships when their partners were successful. ”So thinking of themselves as unsuccessful might trigger men’s fear that their partner will ultimately leave them,” Ratliff and Oishi wrote of their findings."

-from this article in Salon.com

This was an "Ah!" moment. I feel kind of sad because when my parents argue, my dad always puts down my mom. My mom jokes that he's insecure because she's more accomplished than him, but of course she doesn't say that in front of his face.