Guys: What do you think it means to be a man?

[Togs]

Meh as I see it with the progress of technology and civilsation the old tenets of manliness are no longer relevant or applicable.
To me at least being a man is being stoic, compassionate and honourable.

 

[Dismal purple]

In this thread: People showing off how liberal and progressive they are by saying "penis".

-

Defining gender on a single biological trait is fucking atrocious if you have a scientific frame of mind at all. Yeah I'm sure Mike, father of three would appreciate being reclassified as female when someone blows his testicles off. also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xx_male

As for the topic, I'm not a guy but I'll give it a shot anyway:

Being a man is identifying as a man, living as a man (according to your own tenets or someone elses I don't care), and telling the world that you are a man.

Social gender is the only thing I really care about unless I'm trying to reproduce with you.

Eat shit.

Dismal purple out.

 

[ThreeWords]

If you asked me what I thought it meant to be a man, I would say you need to have intelligence, experience, respect, and not be afraid to get your hands dirty, to be a man. That's just my opinion.

However most males you ask in today's society will probably tell you to be a man means you have to work out, like sports, and like cars.

So if you are one gentleman amongst a hundred jocks who do not respect you, you are not a man?

If you are honorable and true, gracious and valiant, and yet simply lack the inherent capability for algebra or the memory space for scientific knowledge, you are no man?

Or indeed, you are young and charming, full of youth's vitality in both body and mind, and eager to change the world to a better place, and yet you are only as young as 17, you are not a man?

Personally, I believe a man should be able to question not only that which he believes to be wrong, but also that which he believes to be true, in order that it should be proven true.

 

[Phisi]

Being Nathan Drake
On a more serious note, I'll put it to being willing to take responsibility, selflessness in times of need or to help damsels in distress and being willing to work for 16 hours a day if it means your family can eat.

 

[Dr Pussymagnet]

I would say to simply have a dick is what makes you a man but Johnny Knoxville's dick died and he's still throwing himself off buildings and getting socked in the nuts.

 

[SnowCold]

Being able to lift a safe above your head to retrieve your birthday gifts.

 

[SinisterGehe]

To have something hanging between your legs and have the sequence in your DNA that makes your (forgot what they are called)... "sex organ" (That becomes clitoris on women and penis and testicles for males).

That is what being a man is...
Now what is the idea of man or the philosophical context. I don't know and I care even less to know.

 

[Mudze]

To answer your question, to be a man you must have a phallus.

End of story.

 

[LordFisheh]

I don't think you're a "man" (in terms of identity) unless you're somewhat concerned with strength. I don't understand how it's possible for a man who has zero familiarity with violence, or who lacks courage in the face of aggression (pacifism is not courageous in my own opinion), to be proud of themselves.

I also don't think you're much of a man if you complain when bad things happen to you, or something you don't like is said about you. That stuff is just too small. I believe that you personally are as small as the most frivolous, petty thing that you let reach you- and I keep that in mind each and every time I've got to react to something.

You're not a man if you disown a friend because he does something irresponsible and wrecks some expensive property. In 200 years time, that property would have been a pile of rust anyway, and nobody will remember that it ever belonged to some nameless guy from some nameless place. Your relationships with other people should be bigger than that. Small men who are reached by small things tend to be abusive towards others.

I could talk for ages. I can't round out the whole idea I have of manhood in a small response, so I'll leave it there, but TLR is that I believe manhood still has something to do with the practice of and preparedness for conflict, with having physical prowess and an attitude to life far removed from the trivialities that comprise the overwhelming majority of it: the labour exchange, accidents, gossip, disagreements, getting a foreign holiday once a year (I know a "man" who moans about this every summer) and so on - all completely and objectively unimportant on any significant scale of events.

The thing is, what makes this true, why should someone be prepared for conflict, against their own will? Are you saying that people's roles and expectations should be dictated by how they happen to have been born, and that they should be frowned on for exercising their free will and choosing otherwise? Where's the difference between that and the beginnings of a caste system? Hell, you already have two castes. One you haven't talked about and the other is where society 'rightfully' demands that all members be combat ready and where those who aren't are considered inferior.

 

[Amphoteric]

You must have a y chromosome in your 23rd set of chromosomes.

That's it...

You can't really say "They have a penis" because some men don't soooo...

 

[dmase]

Most of what you consider to be manly is a social construct. Like 70 years ago men where the bread winners and women where meant to stay home and be a house wife. Its no longer accurate because our society changed what didn't change is that we still have balls that swing... well according to that testosterone statistic.

Anyways what ever makes a man a man is something endowed by nature. Maybe its a dominance complex or a lust to procreate but its not whether or not you decide to dye your hair or wear skinny jeans. We redefine what it means to be a man every generation.

 

[dmase]

If you asked me what I thought it meant to be a man, I would say you need to have intelligence, experience, respect, and not be afraid to get your hands dirty, to be a man. That's just my opinion.

However most males you ask in today's society will probably tell you to be a man means you have to work out, like sports, and like cars.

So if you are one gentleman amongst a hundred jocks who do not respect you, you are not a man?

If you are honorable and true, gracious and valiant, and yet simply lack the inherent capability for algebra or the memory space for scientific knowledge, you are no man?

Or indeed, you are young and charming, full of youth's vitality in both body and mind, and eager to change the world to a better place, and yet you are only as young as 17, you are not a man?

Personally, I believe a man should be able to question not only that which he believes to be wrong, but also that which he believes to be true, in order that it should be proven true.

The question is what makes a man a man. Now you can qualify that as a manly quality but by calling that a manly quality it seems to put women down. Would you put seems more like a philosophic approach to life not just a man's life.

 

[Knight Captain Kerr]

Everything I was gonna say about gender roles and expectations and fuck all that has been said, so instead, I give you this.

Everything I was going to say about how much I hate gender roles and posting "I'll make a man out of you" from Mulan has already been done. Gender roles suck.

 

[Axel1105]

So what do you think it means to be a man today? ?

Real men drink Brawndo!! The Thirst Mutilator!!!

If you don't drink Brawndo, f*ck you!

sorry, felt like saying it...

 

[Raideh]

Cleaned.

 

[Womplord]

you have to be strong... mentally and emotionally. Mature.

 

[ThreeWords]

If you asked me what I thought it meant to be a man, I would say you need to have intelligence, experience, respect, and not be afraid to get your hands dirty, to be a man. That's just my opinion.

However most males you ask in today's society will probably tell you to be a man means you have to work out, like sports, and like cars.

So if you are one gentleman amongst a hundred jocks who do not respect you, you are not a man?

If you are honorable and true, gracious and valiant, and yet simply lack the inherent capability for algebra or the memory space for scientific knowledge, you are no man?

Or indeed, you are young and charming, full of youth's vitality in both body and mind, and eager to change the world to a better place, and yet you are only as young as 17, you are not a man?

Personally, I believe a man should be able to question not only that which he believes to be wrong, but also that which he believes to be true, in order that it should be proven true.

The question is what makes a man a man. Now you can qualify that as a manly quality but by calling that a manly quality it seems to put women down. Would you put seems more like a philosophic approach to life not just a man's life.

Hmm. I seem to have answered the question "What makes a man worthy?". I suppose my answer equally fits "What makes a person worthy?"

*sigh*

I guess a man is made by his genetic makeup and so forth. Y'know, biology and that.

And after that, a man is what he makes himself.

 

[synobal]

For some reason I always think of this scene when people bring up machoism and 'what is means to be a man'. That said I dunno, why must I define myself by gender.

 

[LorienvArden]

This is how we define a proper, rightous man, in contrast to those that might be male, but either behave like cowards, children or manchildren:

The traditional man:
Self sufficient, able to find work and make a living for himself and his family.
Willing and able to learn and to addapt, to make up his own mind and to formulate his wishes as a manifest vision. To stand up for his Vision , defend it when challenged and work to the fullfillment of said vision.
A man will show respect when due and demand respect in return. A man will act with care and decision - swift and with purpose.
He is able to protect those around him and willing to give up his own comfort for the betterment of those he chooses.
A proper Man will accept the consequences of his actions and stand to his word.

Today, I mostly see men around me that are either unable or unwilling to learn and educate themselfs. Men who challenge others because they themself are insecure and need to impress others with their physicality or social standing. They have no vision and just live day by day without a goal in life. Worst of all: Idiots who resort to violence out of boredom or ignorance.

Now, couldn't most of that apply to women as well ?
Granted, most of this allready applies to some women - but in our believe that is not how a perfect utopian society should cast women to be.
There are just too many differences between the physiology and psychology of men and women to just declare everything unisex and bulldoze everything with "gender equality".

 

[dmase]

I saw this interesting documentary called An Emasculating Truth that began with a statistic from a 20-year medical study: testosterone has declined in the male population at rate of 1.2% since 1987, with a total drop of over 20%.

I find it hard to believe they don't have a concrete answer to this. I can think of one really good one given a few minutes especially if this study was done in the us. Our testosterone levels are tied to our physical well being. If you had your testosterone levels tested after regular exercise and diet for 6 months there would be an increase in testosterone levels. Our population is getting over weight and even obese, we're out of shape and eat a horrible diet. Its like expecting to run a marathon after sitting on the couch for weeks eating nothing but Doritos.

Also 45 to 79 give me a break. A more accurate picture would be like say 20 as the hormones from puberty die down significantly. I feel like this study is just saying our old people are in worse condition then several years before.