I think they're confronted with the question of "what it means to be a man" when their wife leaves them. Gary in the article is more upset about his wife(s) lea

I think they're confronted with the question of "what it means to be a man" when their wife leaves them. Gary in the article is more upset about his wife(s) leaving him than his loss of a job. At that point I think it's natural to wonder if/why you're no longer able to keep a relationship with the opposite sex.