some things every man should know how to do

[Zantos]

Own a Stanley knife, and not only know how to use it to sharpen a pencil but actively prefer it.
Same principle for swiss army knives and the tin opener on them.
Use toothpicks without causing severe injury.

I completely ace the plumbing requirement. I got back from a holiday yesterday and the first thing I was asked upon getting home is if I could fit a dishwasher. Didn't even have to read the installation manual and it was textbook.

 

[ThatDaveDude1]

Impregnate a woman, unless they're into that whole "extinction" thing

 

[Aeriath]

The list is a little archaic and location dependent, but I'll have a go at this checklist.

Use basic tools - This I can do, but only because of my experiences with woodworking in highscool and helping my dad build a few fences.
Build a fire [Owyn_Merrilin] - I can't see myself needing to know this unless society colapses.
Swim [loc978] - Check. This is sensible enough.
Sharpen a knife [Owyn_Merrilin] - No idea.
Fish - I'm not a fan of fishing.
Hunt [Dr_Horrible] - Pfft. The only people around here who hunt own estates and have posh accents.
Gut a fish/skin an animal - I prefer to have my local butcher do this seeing as how they have trained for this.
Ride a horse - Bit anachronistic, isn't it? I'd say it's more of a niche hobby than a required skill.
Pitch a tent - Not much of a camper.
Perform first aid, including CPR - This would be useful. It would be worth knowing this but I don't.
Cook a few easy recipes - Egg is a versatile food.
Operate a grill [AGrey] - I tend to use the hob more but the grill can't be too hard.
Know at least one good year for wine - Not a wine drinker.
Build something - I'm pretty good working with wood, and I built the computer I am typing this from.
Repair your possessions - Quite a lot of my possesions are far too complex to be repaired by a layman (electronics etc).
Sew [Sope] - Fairly useful but not essential. I'm alright at sewing, we had a few lessons on it during Home Economics at highschool.
Know how to grow a decent garden - As I said with horse riding, this seems more like a hobbby than an essential skill.
Install/repair basic electric utilities - I can correctly wire a plug and fit a lightbulb but that's as much as I know.
Install/repair basic plumbing - I'd give it a go but I can't imagine I'd have much sucess.
Change a light bulb - Covered earlier. Seems a little odd that this would be mentioned since it's so simple.
Fire a gun - I'm neither a farmer nor rich, which puts me squarely outside the demographic for legal firearms in the UK.
Throw a punch - I'd prefer to take the "flight" option.
Take a punch - I'd rather concentrate on not being hit to be honest.
Read - My apologies my good sir, I didn't realise you were from 1900. Aren't literacy rates at 99.99% in the western world nowadays?
Read/watch the news [Da Chi] - Knowning what is going on in the world is important. Check.
Read a manual [LadyMint] - Sensible enough. Unless the manual is as thick as a novel of course.
Clearly communicate an idea [gmergurl] - Sure.
Talk to others - Check.
Talk to someone you're attracted to (not just cheesy one-liners)- Check.
Know what they're talking about (Literature, art, music, history, politics) [Kukulski] - I'm not particualrly well versed in any of those subjects. I'm more interested in technology.
Drink (Not to excess, but know your preferences and limits) (including whether you drink at all) - I'm a very occassional drinker, and I never drink for pleasure. People can't seem to wrap their heads around not drinking where I live, so nursing a pint of cider keeps them quite for the most part.
Sing or play some kind of instrument (it doesn't matter if it's a kazoo or a violin, learn something) - I'm not musically inclined at all. You'd have more luck training a chimp to play the piano than me becoming competent with an instrument.
Dance - I dance about as well as Commander Shepard.
Play Chess (just know how the pieces move, you don't need to be a grand master) - I'm alright at chess.
Play poker - Does Texas Hold-Em suffice?
Drive a car (automatic and stick) - Perhaps in 10 years when I have managed to earn enough of this elusive thing that people call money.
Ride a motorcycle - I'd rather drive a car.
Operate a boat (canoe, yacht, sailboat) [loc978] - I live about 7 miles from the sea, but I cant forsee any reason that I would need this skill.
Jump start a car - It's something I'd take the time to learn while I was learning to drive.
Change a tire [Wadders] - Same as above.
Change the oil [Athol] - Again, same as above.
Clean yourself - Sorry, keep forgetting you have been skipped 100 years forward.
Clean your possessions ~[PettingZOOPONY] - Erm. OK I guess.
Shave [Armored Prayer] - Essential, unless you rock a beard (and even then you'd still hopefully trim it).
Tie a tie [Wadders] - A must in the world of business.
Polish their shoes [Lord Kloo] - Not as essential in the world of business, but it makes a good impression.
Open a can/bottle [Irriduccibilli] - Check.
Twist off a lid - Check.
Pack a suitcase [Ledan] - I'd say I'm competent at this, but not great.
Pack a car [Ledan] - My family hasn't owned a car for about 12 years. I imagine it can't be too difficult though.

 

[Johnny Impact]

This list is fascinating to me. I think about stuff like this often. I am a man but I don't consider myself a Man. A Man knows how to fix a car and install a screen door. A Man likes beer and football. A Man thinks sex is more important than love. A Man thinks any guy who tries not to stare at pretty women "must be a ******". And so forth. I don't do these things.

I hope you're not being serious. 'cause if you are then you completely misread the intent of the thread. I'm not calling anyone a "******". The first set of points (the car and the door) from you are valid here, but the others... not so much.

I am being serious. I have been called a ****** for looking away from a pretty girl. I didn't say YOU said it. The typical blue-collar male is who I spend the most time with and it so happens the typical blue-collar male is so homophobic it's coming out his ears. You might want to add "stare and drool unashamedly at women who aren't even that pretty" to the list, though.

I misread nothing. I'm not offended nor should you be. I said I quite often think about what the typical male is (shortcomings included), mostly as a function of how far removed from that stereotype I am. Because of that, it is interesting to me to see how many Essential Guy Skills I have and how many I don't. Data for my ongoing research, as it were.

 

[Rayne870]

A man should know how to both satisfy and defend his lover. He should know when to fight and when to walk away. A man should also know how to communicate with his lover and maintain a very simple rule: "never go to bed angry at each-other". Exercising this will improve almost any relationship and the well being of the man.

A man should know how to admit when he is wrong or at least be able to agree to disagree in order to maintain a friendship or other relationship.

He should also know basic dress and deportment, how to wear a suit properly.

He should know CPR/First Aid and basic survival techniques and retrain them as needed. You never know when you can save someones life or save your own.

A man as an entertainer should know how to prepare each type of steak to each degree of being cooked. I like mine medium-well.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

I find this thread unsettling for some reason. I don't know why.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

This list is fascinating to me. I think about stuff like this often. I am a man but I don't consider myself a Man. A Man knows how to fix a car and install a screen door. A Man likes beer and football. A Man thinks sex is more important than love. A Man thinks any guy who tries not to stare at pretty women "must be a ******". And so forth. I don't do these things.

I hope you're not being serious. 'cause if you are then you completely misread the intent of the thread. I'm not calling anyone a "******". The first set of points (the car and the door) from you are valid here, but the others... not so much.

I am being serious. I have been called a ****** for looking away from a pretty girl. I didn't say YOU said it. The typical blue-collar male is who I spend the most time with and it so happens the typical blue-collar male is so homophobic it's coming out his ears. You might want to add "stare and drool unashamedly at women who aren't even that pretty" to the list, though.

I misread nothing. I'm not offended nor should you be. I said I quite often think about what the typical male is (shortcomings included), mostly as a function of how far removed from that stereotype I am. Because of that, it is interesting to me to see how many Essential Guy Skills I have and how many I don't. Data for my ongoing research, as it were.

Well then, this is as good a time as any to add that a real man is comfortable in his masculinity. Homophobes are not, ergo, they are not real men.

 

[lemiel14n3]

I find this thread unsettling for some reason. I don't know why.

Can't think of any good reason. Well, a few, but none are rational. This is a thread dedicated to typically masculine beliefs and abilities, but I and others have said that this is no bar to women. The possibility for sexism abounds, but I've been quick to ignore the people who suggested "masturbate" as an addition to the list. Or maybe your worried about the consequences of a world where every man is a combination of John Wayne, James Bond and the Old Spice Guy.

Well then, this is as good a time as any to add that a real man is comfortable in his masculinity. Homophobes are not, ergo, they are not real men.

Bam! added to the "worthy list"

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

I find this thread unsettling for some reason. I don't know why.

Can't think of any good reason. Well, a few, but none are rational. This is a thread dedicated to typically masculine beliefs and abilities, but I and others have said that this is no bar to women. The possibility for sexism abounds, but I've been quick to ignore the people who suggested "masturbate" as an addition to the list. Or maybe your worried about the consequences of a world where every man is a combination of John Wayne, James Bond and the old spice guy.

I wasn't lying when I said I didn't know. I tried to write a response explaining why like 3 times and deleted it.

I don't know if it's sexism? Maybe not. It just seems very pressurising? perhaps.

 

[lemiel14n3]

I find this thread unsettling for some reason. I don't know why.

Can't think of any good reason. Well, a few, but none are rational. This is a thread dedicated to typically masculine beliefs and abilities, but I and others have said that this is no bar to women. The possibility for sexism abounds, but I've been quick to ignore the people who suggested "masturbate" as an addition to the list. Or maybe your worried about the consequences of a world where every man is a combination of John Wayne, James Bond and the old spice guy.

I wasn't lying when I said I didn't know. I tried to write a response explaining why like 3 times and deleted it.

I don't know if it's sexism? Maybe not. It just seems very pressurising? perhaps.

I can see that, but I'm honestly trying not to pressure people into conforming. I'm not trying to start a cult or anything. I'm not trying to make people get in line with these requirements.

I make several statements to that effect in the OP, and several more throughout the thread.

If people are still feeling pressured, well, there's nothing more I can do about it. And I can think of worse things to be pressured into than self-improvement and learning new skills.

 

[imperialreign]

Along with changing the oil - checking a car's fluids . . . being a mechanic by trade, I can't count how many times vehicles have ended in costly repairs simply because someone couldn't maintain fluid levels and bring it in for leaks. It's pretty sad when we get a car towed in, with some guy's wife and kids stranded, simply because no one knew the power steering, transmission, cooling system or oil was leaking and something failed on the highway.

to most people, cars aren't an interest. They're just a chunk of machinery that gets them from A to B.

You're not going to know the ins and outs of a car unless you take an interest in them. And I don't really see why that should fall under the 'things a man should do'.

I'm not going to bother taking any more of an interest in my car than as to whether or not it's running.

Well - if you prefer spending 3-4 times the amount to repair something that could've been prevented, by all means . . .

. . . I consider it job security.

The same could be said about anything you own.

Do you know the ins and outs of how your boiler works? I'm sure the people that do check it regularly enough so that it doesn't fuck out on them and they have to wait weeks for a new one.

Do you know enough about your PC to take it apart and give it new parts when it's required and keep your system clean etc?

You're looking at cars from a mechanics perspective. You're obviously interested in them. So you don't understand why people won't just check for... whatever you said to check for.

But to anyone who isn't interested. It's just time and effort they can't be bothered putting in for something they know very little about.

Whether or not I'm interested in something doesn't preven me from researching basic owner's maintenance in regards to it's operation - from what needs to be regularly checked in a central HVAC system, to washer/dryer and other appliance maintenance. Not doing so is akin to being perfectly content with one's house burning down because you simply couldn't be arsed to clean out your clothes dryer's exhaust duct work (or have someone do it).

. . . and if there's something I simply can't do, or is beyond my means of comprehension, I have no problem calling out an expert on an annual basis to give the system a go-over inspection.

I might be looking at vehicles from a mechanic's perspective - but everything else I'm willing to maintain (that's not a key aspect of my profession) has saved me countless amounts in the long run. It might be time and effort, but in regards to vehicles, if one can't take the few minutes it takes to check fluid levels, I have no sympathy when they're slapped with a $1000+ repair bill.

I'm sorry, but ignorance of maintainance is no excuse for not learning about it or taking the effort to protect one's expenditures. No matter whether it's a car, a house, an appliance, electronics, etc. I simply can't fathom spening hundreds, thousands, ten of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars on something and then simply not doing all that's within my power to ensure it's up-to-par and stays that way.

 

[lemiel14n3]

Along with changing the oil - checking a car's fluids . . . being a mechanic by trade, I can't count how many times vehicles have ended in costly repairs simply because someone couldn't maintain fluid levels and bring it in for leaks. It's pretty sad when we get a car towed in, with some guy's wife and kids stranded, simply because no one knew the power steering, transmission, cooling system or oil was leaking and something failed on the highway.

to most people, cars aren't an interest. They're just a chunk of machinery that gets them from A to B.

You're not going to know the ins and outs of a car unless you take an interest in them. And I don't really see why that should fall under the 'things a man should do'.

I'm not going to bother taking any more of an interest in my car than as to whether or not it's running.

Well - if you prefer spending 3-4 times the amount to repair something that could've been prevented, by all means . . .

. . . I consider it job security.

The same could be said about anything you own.

Do you know the ins and outs of how your boiler works? I'm sure the people that do check it regularly enough so that it doesn't fuck out on them and they have to wait weeks for a new one.

Do you know enough about your PC to take it apart and give it new parts when it's required and keep your system clean etc?

You're looking at cars from a mechanics perspective. You're obviously interested in them. So you don't understand why people won't just check for... whatever you said to check for.

But to anyone who isn't interested. It's just time and effort they can't be bothered putting in for something they know very little about.

Whether or not I'm interested in something doesn't preven me from researching basic owner's maintenance in regards to it's operation - from what needs to be regularly checked in a central HVAC system, to washer/dryer and other appliance maintenance. Not doing so is akin to being perfectly content with one's house burning down because you simply couldn't be arsed to clean out your clothes dryer's exhaust duct work (or have someone do it).

. . . and if there's something I simply can't do, or is beyond my means of comprehension, I have no problem calling out an expert on an annual basis to give the system a go-over inspection.

I might be looking at vehicles from a mechanic's perspective - but everything else I'm willing to maintain (that's not a key aspect of my profession) has saved me countless amounts in the long run. It might be time and effort, but in regards to vehicles, if one can't take the few minutes it takes to check fluid levels, I have no sympathy when they're slapped with a $1000+ repair bill.

I'm sorry, but ignorance of maintainance is no excuse for not learning about it or taking the effort to protect one's expenditures. No matter whether it's a car, a house, an appliance, electronics, etc. I simply can't fathom spening hundreds, thousands, ten of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars on something and then simply not doing all that's within my power to ensure it's up-to-par and stays that way.

You guys seem to love hyperbole.

It's not that I don't know how to check the oil levels. I'm just not going to randomly check them.

Unless the cars acting up. I wont bother doing anything but put petrol in it.

I take the same attitude with everything else I own.

If it isn't broke. Who gives a shit.

You will when your car breaks down because you never learned how to maintain it.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

My personal contribution would be Archery, and I mean proper, old fashioned Archery. It's all well and good buying a modern, top of the range bow and being a good shot with it, but something else entirely to fashion your own bow, out of wood and with no assists or sights as well as your own arrows, and still being a good shot with it.

It promotes so many skills: To find a good tree to get your wood from you need a keen eye; to fashion a good bow and arrows you need both artistic skill and a good understanding of the Physics involves when you fire it; to fire it accurately you need not just a great natural sense of aim, but also a steady hand and (if you're hunting rather than just target practice) mental patience and nerves of steel. IMO it is a art that involves far more finesse and discipline than any variation on sword fighting or shooting, and it embodies not just the skill, but the temperament of the ultimate man.

(Also, Robin Hood, by far and away the manliest fictional character in history... ever!)