I was turned on to a podcast recently called the Pressure Project . I have been listening to it that last few days and while some may accuse it of being misogynist I find it resonates with me. It is not anti female rather it is pro male and rejects the politically correct version of manhood that I have never subscribed to. It did get me thinking though. I have a lot of beliefs on what it means to be a man but I have never written them down on paper on purpose. So I thought I would do that now.
1. Men are tribal- Men gravitate towards others with common beliefs. Outside of our immediate families we need a peer group to interact with and hold us accountable. No one else but the tribe can let a man know when he is shirking his duties . The tribe is what encourages men to be warriors and defend their family. You know you are with your tribe when you can say truthfully "these are my people." That is why I believe military service or other public service has such a profound effect on men. They become part of the tribe or they don't. Either way it is significant.
2. Men defend- As a man it is our responsibility to defend our families and those we care about. To a certain extent is is also on us to protect those that generally cannot protect themselves. This responsibility cannot be delegated to law enforcement or government as some would have you believe. It is a man's responsibility as a man. You are the first line of defense. If a thug is beating and raping your wife upstairs and you know by running up the stairs you face certain death a man does not escape and call the police. A man goes up the stairs and defends. Law enforcement is secondary.
3. Men must be comfortable with violence- I am not saying a man must be habitually violent or encourage violence. I am saying a man must be comfortable with violence. Men do not turn their heads when confronted with violence. Men meet violence with stronger violence. Violence of action and unstoppable force that is what resolves a violent encounter. Men carry themselves not as sheep but as shepherds. If you look around you can tell the difference.
4. Men strive for fitness- I fully realize the difficulty in attaining and maintaining fitness. I have attained many and varying levels of fitness throughout my life. As I get older my definition of fitness has also changed. What I used to think was sub standard now I am ok with. As age progresses I have come to the realization that the point is a man continues to strive for fitness to the best capacity he can. To neglect the opportunity to have the best fitness level you can is makes you less of a man. Those whose slack jawed body language surely shows they haven't touched a weight in their life are not men. Relentless forward progress.
5. Men show compassionate- A man has empathy and compassion for others. This does not make him weak but makes him a good leader. Compassion for others and the demonstration of this through the various non profit organizations and volunteer opportunities show how a man gives back to society. Men set a good example.
Suffice to say if you are not living these 5 principles and striving to meet them within your own set of circumstances then you are still a child and not a man.
1. Men are tribal- Men gravitate towards others with common beliefs. Outside of our immediate families we need a peer group to interact with and hold us accountable. No one else but the tribe can let a man know when he is shirking his duties . The tribe is what encourages men to be warriors and defend their family. You know you are with your tribe when you can say truthfully "these are my people." That is why I believe military service or other public service has such a profound effect on men. They become part of the tribe or they don't. Either way it is significant.
2. Men defend- As a man it is our responsibility to defend our families and those we care about. To a certain extent is is also on us to protect those that generally cannot protect themselves. This responsibility cannot be delegated to law enforcement or government as some would have you believe. It is a man's responsibility as a man. You are the first line of defense. If a thug is beating and raping your wife upstairs and you know by running up the stairs you face certain death a man does not escape and call the police. A man goes up the stairs and defends. Law enforcement is secondary.
3. Men must be comfortable with violence- I am not saying a man must be habitually violent or encourage violence. I am saying a man must be comfortable with violence. Men do not turn their heads when confronted with violence. Men meet violence with stronger violence. Violence of action and unstoppable force that is what resolves a violent encounter. Men carry themselves not as sheep but as shepherds. If you look around you can tell the difference.
4. Men strive for fitness- I fully realize the difficulty in attaining and maintaining fitness. I have attained many and varying levels of fitness throughout my life. As I get older my definition of fitness has also changed. What I used to think was sub standard now I am ok with. As age progresses I have come to the realization that the point is a man continues to strive for fitness to the best capacity he can. To neglect the opportunity to have the best fitness level you can is makes you less of a man. Those whose slack jawed body language surely shows they haven't touched a weight in their life are not men. Relentless forward progress.
5. Men show compassionate- A man has empathy and compassion for others. This does not make him weak but makes him a good leader. Compassion for others and the demonstration of this through the various non profit organizations and volunteer opportunities show how a man gives back to society. Men set a good example.
Suffice to say if you are not living these 5 principles and striving to meet them within your own set of circumstances then you are still a child and not a man.
No comments:
Post a Comment