some things every man should know how to do

[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!)