Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
What Makes a Man?
I’ve been thinking about this for the last few weeks. We seem to be facing a crisis of manliness in this country. We have lots of men with no chests. We have absent fathers. We vilify fathers and men in particular in our media. What makes a man? I have been blessed to have strong men in my life that have provided good examples of what it is to be a man.
A man keeps his word. When a man says that he will do something, he does it. My maternal grandpa was great at this. You knew that when he said that he’d do something that it would get done. This was in large part due to his work. He worked in a variety of fields throughout his life. He was a mechanic, owning his own shop. He ran a timber business for a number of years. He was a trucker for a few years. He did various other manual labor jobs in his life. In each one of those fields, his word was paramount. He cared about the quality of work he produced. He cared about his clients. If his clients couldn’t trust him when he said that these trees would be cleared in a set number of days then he’d lose business. If he didn’t care about keeping his word, he would have starved. If he didn’t care about keeping his word, he wouldn’t have been able to support his family.
A man serves his community. This can be service to his country, his state, his county, his city, his church; it just needs to be some sort of service for his fellow man. My brother is an Iraq War veteran, her served one tour of duty in Iraq in 2006. My dad has been a Jaycee, a Lion, a Chamber member, Boy Scout leader, PTA leader/member. He has served on his church’s elder board for years. He ran for the school board and city council.
My maternal grandpa volunteered his time and equipment to help the community. He built the foundation for the community ambulance garage. He helped to build the baseball field for the high school. He ran a group home for years that served those with mental disabilities. My paternal grandpa served in Europe in WWII as a lieutenant. He was also a Jaycee, a Shriner, and a board member for various organizations. A man serves his community because it shows that he cares for others.
A man loves his wife. He respects her. He treats her right. He serves her. He cares for her. He protects her.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but a start. Thoughts? Additions?
Published in General
At the atomic level, mostly carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, as I recall.
Obligatory. Also language warning, probably.
I agree
You have described my dad.
Manliness has no virtue component. It is an independent property.
I am leaning towards mastery of ones self, confidence in the face of risk (Harvey Mansfield), and the potential for physical violence.
There is reason that anti-heroes and villains in our art are also very manly.
That particular point strikes me as the description of any person, male or female, who has self-respect.
Now that one strikes me as being a big part of manliness.
Right you are, @johnniealum13! Womanliness is in rather short supply, too, it seems…
Very true!
I’m reminded of my mom. She’d say “She may be a woman, but she’s not a lady.”
Hey now! Some of us resemble that!
TRN, I believe that you would fall into the lady category.
Good post. A quality common among some of the men I most admire is quiet courage. Chuck Swindoll put it this way:
Also, something about a man who can laugh — at himself and see the ridiculous in the world, with others but not at them — speaks well of his character.
That’s very sweet of you. But it is all lies! Don’t believe him! I’m very manly!
Last Father’s Day, my daughter-in-law (and mother of my grandson) wrote on a card, “Thanks for being a good example of what a father should be”.
Those words may be the nicest words ever said to me. I think being a good example of what a father should be is about the best a man can hope to accomplish.
Fortunately, I had a good example to learn from. I feel really bad for those who don’t.
This is very true. Children need their fathers.
Snips, snails, puppy dog tails, and puberty.
It’s a tatoo ;-) Well according to a young Pete Townsend
Me and my brother were talking to each other
‘Bout what makes a man a man
Was it brain or brawn, or the month you were born
We just couldn’t understand
A man takes responsibility . I think that sums up most what has already been mentioned .
I too share Johnnie Alum 13 interest in what it means to be a man. You would not think that it would be that difficult to define. When I was a boy, a man was a man by example. There was no need to try and define the concept with words. A man was a man ( end of story). I would guess, the concept of a man has degenerated to the point where it is now necessary to struggle with a description.
Perhaps, we also need to define what it means to take responsibility, as well.
Indeed. So many seem to want a perpetual adolescence. That way they can never accept blame for when things go awry. They can always pass the buck.
I think these are good qualities, but I’m not sure they actually define manliness. I come back to the question, “What qualities would be good and right for a man to have, but wrong for a woman to have?” It seems like many of the qualities listed don’t concern manhood so much as they concern general goodness. So, if I could tweak the question, I would ask what defines manliness to distinguish it from womanly goodness?
One thing I’ve learned from Ricochet is that real men drink straight whiskey. Only girls and girly men (like me) enjoy flavored rum.
Preferably straight Scotch whiskey. Unless you actually live in Kentucky.