10 Ways Men Can turn Challenges into Opportunities, According to the Male Confidence Index

The findings of the inaugural Male Confidence Index from Man of Many reveal that men’s confidence in Australia isn’t so much in a state of crisis, but rather in a state of significant transition.

The Male Confidence Index, a scientific study conducted by Man of Many in conjunction with Fifth Quadrant research, surveyed 2001 Australians aged 18-64 about their confidence in five key areas; finance and career, health and wellbeing, relationships and belonging, identity and societal role, and self-perception and life direction.

The results were stark, showing a national baseline confidence score of 63/100, but significant fluctuations across age and gender groupings. The data highlights specific cultural and structural moments where confidence is either bolstered by modern support systems or eroded by outdated expectations and digital pressures.

Building on these insights, we’ve identified ten opportunities that outline where meaningful progress can occur for Aussie men. Rather than offering prescriptive quick fixes, these pathways identify the narratives, environments, and conditions necessary to strengthen male confidence across communities, workplaces, and families over time.

By viewing these opportunities through a generational lens, we can meet men exactly where they are—redefining strength and connection for a new era.

Opportunity 1: Break the silence and normalise confidence change

The Insight: Men’s confidence is not static; it shifts across adulthood in response to life stage and pressure.

The Opportunity: Create a shared language around these fluctuations so men do not internalise “dips” as personal failures.

The Quote: “When confidence change is experienced privately and unsupported by shared language or cultural reference points, dips can easily be internalised as personal failure rather than recognised as a normal part of navigating life.” — Male Confidence Index 2025 Report

Opportunity 2: Reframe midlife as renewal, not crisis

The Insight: Confidence reaches a low point among Gen X men (the “Midlife Confidence Cliff”), often because traditional measures of success no longer align with lived experience.

The Opportunity: Reposition midlife as a stage for purposeful recalibration and renewal rather than a crisis or decline.

“The Index shows this isn’t about failure, it’s about navigating a life stage where responsibilities peak and expectations shift. There’s a real opportunity here… to push an alternative narrative of recalibration that is less isolating and more supportive.” — Scott Purcell, Co-Founder of Man of Many

Opportunity 3: Expand what strength means for Gen-Z Men

The Insight: Younger men still value strength but face intense pressure from digital visibility and comparison.

The Opportunity: Broaden the definition of strength to include adaptability, resilience, and self-direction rather than just dominance or appearance.

“The research suggests that confidence among Gen Z men is strongest when strength is understood as adaptability, self-direction, and resilience, rather than control, dominance, or appearance.” — Male Confidence Index 2025 Report

Opportunity 4: Build financial confidence in a climate of pressure

The Insight: Financial independence is a top priority for men, but it is also where their confidence is most strained by rising living costs and housing affordability.

The Opportunity: Decouple financial confidence from constant upward momentum and focus on agency, adaptability, and stability.

“The weakest of those five areas is finances and career. Now, given the economic environment we find ourselves in, that’s not massively surprising, but it is still a problem.” — Nick Rassool, Fifth Quadrant

Opportunity 5: Build confidence and connection beyond the feed

The Insight: Financial independence is a top priority for men, but it is also where their confidence is most strained by rising living costs and housing affordability.

The Opportunity: Decouple financial confidence from constant upward momentum and focus on agency, adaptability, and stability.

“Confidence is reinforced through depth, trust, and shared experience—qualities more reliably built through in-person interaction. This isn’t about rejecting digital spaces, but recognising their limits and complementing them with offline connection.” — Frank Arthur, Co-Founder of Man of Many

Opportunity 6: Celebrate soft strengths in fatherhood

The Insight: There is a clear generational shift where younger men report much higher emotional openness with their fathers than Gen X did.

The Opportunity: Validate and celebrate “soft strengths”—such as emotional presence and care—as core components of masculine strength.

“These early experiences appear to echo across adulthood, influencing how men express vulnerability, seek support, and navigate pressure later in life.” — Male Confidence Index 2025 Report

Opportunity 7: Elevate Gen-X role models for a new kind of strength

The Insight: There is a clear generational shift where younger men report much higher emotional openness with their fathers than Gen X did.

The Opportunity: Validate and celebrate “soft strengths”—such as emotional presence and care—as core components of masculine strength.

“A generation experiencing diminished confidence is also one of the most influential in setting cultural norms around strength. When openness is demonstrated by men who carry authority, experience, and credibility, it reframes strength in ways that feel attainable rather than aspirational.” — Male Confidence Index 2025 Report

Opportunity 8: Empower diverse and personally defined masculinity

The Insight: There is a clear generational shift where younger men report much higher emotional openness with their fathers than Gen X did.

The Opportunity: Validate and celebrate “soft strengths”—such as emotional presence and care—as core components of masculine strength.

“I found it sad how a lot of men still feel, for so many different reasons, that they have to be that strong, masculine traditional archetype, when often women would like to see something different in men.” — Carly Dober, Psychologist

Opportunity 9: Treat support as maintenance, not crisis

The Insight: There is a clear generational shift where younger men report much higher emotional openness with their fathers than Gen X did.

The Opportunity: Validate and celebrate “soft strengths”—such as emotional presence and care—as core components of masculine strength.

“Treating support as hygiene lowers barriers and strengthens resilience long before problems escalate. When support is reserved for crisis, confidence erodes in silence. When support is routine, confidence is easier to sustain.” — Male Confidence Index 2025 Report

Opportunity 10: Bring women’s perspectives into men’s confidence

The Insight: There is a clear generational shift where younger men report much higher emotional openness with their fathers than Gen X did.

The Opportunity: Validate and celebrate “soft strengths”—such as emotional presence and care—as core components of masculine strength.

“Men are chasing an idea of masculinity that doesn’t really exist outside their own heads… destabilising relationships. Almost half of women see vulnerability as something that’s really important as a part of masculinity, whereas only 7% of men agree.” — Sam Antrobus, Fifth Quadrant