What it means to me
to be a man.
What is a man? I don’t mean physically. I mean in a
philosophical sense, what makes a man a man. Whether we
realize it or not we live our lives by a fairly fixed set
of rules and regulations that we learned empirically and
from knowledge and wisdom passed down from other men in our
families such as fathers and grandfathers. Some men learn
useful and ethically sound lessons from their fathers, and
despite being pointed in the right direction, stray for one
reason or another.
Some men take those patriarchal lessons and add their own
knowledge and information to the lessons they learn as they
go through life, and apply them to be passed along to other
men. To me this is an essential part of being a man, having
the intelligence, knowledge, and sense of introspection
enough so that we know when we see something that should be
added to the halls of knowledge, and what should be tossed
out. Knowing the difference between and having a good moral
sense and a keen sense of right and wrong are imperative to
understanding and applying useful knowledge and to pass is
along.
Once we are able to identify and employ this basic
foundation to what it means to be a man, we can then apply
it in our lives. In the sense of what it means to be a man,
I want to also make the distinction between life lessons
and man lessons. Sure, it is a good thing to teach our sons
to fish and throw a baseball, but they can get by in the
world without knowing this, but I don’t recommend it.
However, that is not for this topic. Life lessons are what
helps form our sons into men, thus giving them the tools to
be a model for others to try to emulate.
So, what does it mean to be a man? Better yet, what does a
real man do that sets him apart from all the cannon fodder
mucking up an otherwise great country? Here is my two cents
on that. A real man doesn’t screw his friends over. A real
man takes care of his family, and does so before all else.
A real man puts the needs of his family before his own, and
cannot rest until his family is safe, secure, and happy. A
real man doesn’t cheat on his woman. A real man gives his
word and keeps it. A real man doesn’t need to lie, cheat,
or steal. A real man makes his own way in the world and
contributes to society. A real man ensures he has the
skills, tools, and ability to protect himself and his
family from any harm that might befall them. A real man
loves his country, but questions abuses of power from his
government. A real man makes sure he knows things, pursues
knowledge, and applies what he has learned in a positive
sense to his life, family, and children. A real man doesn’t
lose control and acts as the unwavering figurehead of his
family. A real man loves, but does not squander it
unnecessarily. A real man does not pursue greed or idle
distractions, which could harm himself or his family. And
most of all, a real man portrays a sense of power,
strength, respect, honor, justice, and dignity where ever
he goes and in what ever he does.
I will get off my soapbox now, but try to think hard about
what you just read and ask yourself if you agree with it.
If you do, you should ask yourself if you are being a real
man or if you are falling short of the mark. Remember no
one is perfect, but a little honest introspection and
self-assessment of whether or not you are a man goes a long
way. Thanks for reading.