What does it mean to be a man today?

[ANARCHit3cht]

Having said that, what about the men who have the unfortunate event of their penis being removed? There have been instances where people "accidentally" lose their genitalia. And in ancient times, it was a way of showing dominance.

I was speaking of the genitalia that you are born with. Even if they were mutilated beyond recognition. But actually, now that I think about it, I don't particularly agree with that statement of mine. A FTM trannsexual who hasn't undergone bottomside operations is still a man. So I guess what makes you a man is your own admission to being one. The idea that men have certain criteria to meet is utterly ridiculous. And if you're like me and don't fit nicely into either gender binary, then that idea is all the more unfathomable. I would not call myself a women, although I probably display more traits typically associated with women rather than men. If you have ever heard of "Challenge Day" (It was on MTV for a bit) such a program came to my school. It was a remarkable experience. Even the "tough guys" cried their eyes out.

I don't agree with things such as "having responsibility" or "providing for your family" as those are both things that could very well be the female's job in many situations. I sure as hell know that none of these definitions describe my dad. Most of them describe my mom, actually. And I can assure you that she is no man.

 

[Nick]

I had to skip over a little bit of this thread. Men and women were created equal. Please note: I'm not married. In marriage, the husband is the head of the household. He loves his wife, and she loves him. The women submits to the man. I could go into more detail. Ephesians 6:22-33 And yes, guys ( more like teens and stuff) are afraid to cry. I remember in pe class a long, long time ago, we were playing hand ball inside the gym. There was this speaker thing (a large metal box with switches and stuff in it). The ball landed under it, so I sprinted to pick it up. But, as I picked it up, I slammed my head on the box. It was extremely loud, and it hurt worse than anything. I didn't cry, even though I could have bawled. Why would a feminist society be better?

That's very idealistic of you to believe, but men and women are not created equal, and you can see that in every piece of fabric that holds our society together. Read a history book.

 

[Togfan]

In Norway a man is expected to do everything a woman does (cooking, taking care of children, cleaning, laundry, show feelings etc) as well as some other traits not particularly being "woman-ish" (like training, being fit, etc). A woman on the other hand isn't really "expected" to do much, but it is quite common that a woman is capable of the same tasks as a man (fixing the house and the car, practical stuff like that, as well as working).
Of course not everyone follows the same pattern, and this doesn't apply to everyone.

I'd say roles here are pretty slack (you can pretty much do whatever), but being a "real man" (macho and such) is relatively approached by... negativity.

 

[BadPokemon]

That's very idealistic of you to believe, but men and women are not created equal, and you can see that in every piece of fabric that holds our society together. Read a history book.

We were created by God equal. We may not treat each other as equal. I get what you mean, though.

 

[Sopheria]

That's very idealistic of you to believe, but men and women are not created equal, and you can see that in every piece of fabric that holds our society together. Read a history book.

Depends on your definition of "equal". The way I see it, no two human beings are equal period, since every individual is different from another. I think that when people say all men and women are created equal, they mean there's nothing that makes one person "better" than another. Perhaps some people are better at certain things than others, but no one is better or worse than another person overall.

 

[Outlier]

Being a man means being able to look anybody in the eye and stand up to them regardless of their authoritative status and whatever power they may think they have over you.

To quote a favorite song of mine "I see what you got man it measures in ounces!" In other words no matter how much of a man you might think you are, if you ain't willing to step up and defend what you believe in then you are no man at all.

 

[Evyl]

Being a man means being able to look anybody in the eye and stand up to them regardless of their authoritative status and whatever power they may think they have over you.

To quote a favorite song of mine "I see what you got man it measures in ounces!" In other words no matter how much of a man you might think you are, if you ain't willing to step up and defend what you believe in then you are no man at all.

Are you implying that women can't look at an authoritative figure in the eye and stand up to them? Are you saying that doing such an act is a masculine trait? Genuinely asking here so a debate can start ~

Hoh~, men who don't defend themselves don't deserve the right be called a man? That's very controversial. Do you have any reasoning or further explanation for this point of view?

 

[Outlier]

Are you implying that women can't look at an authoritative figure in the eye and stand up to them? Are you saying that doing such an act is a masculine trait? Genuinely asking here so a debate can start ~

Hoh~, men who don't defend themselves don't deserve the right be called a man? That's very controversial. Do you have any reasoning or further explanation for this point of view?

And this is why I hate feminists. I never said anything about women, like at all. This thread is about what we think it means to be a man and I gave my definition which is to stand up for yourself and what you believe in regardless of who is standing in front of you.

BlahISuck, perhaps you should change the title of this thread to what does it mean to be a person because apparently talking about our perceptions of what it means to be a man in today's world is misogynistic...lol

 

[Evyl]

And this is why I hate feminists. I never said anything about women, like at all. This thread is about what we think it means to be a man and I gave my definition which is to stand up for yourself and what you believe in regardless of who is standing in front of you.

Hm~ I think you missed my intentions. I was trying to have a discussion/debate, since this is the Discussion & Debates board. What you consider to be "being a man" I might not, and thus we each converse and try to convince the other of our own point of view. That's a debate to my standards.

And not to mention you ignored my second paragraph. .___. I was asking for an explanation, because that point of view intrigues me and I would to understand it better. If you don't want to elaborate, that's fine. But like, can you please expand on your second point? Please?

 

[Outlier]

Hm~ I think you missed my intentions. I was trying to have a discussion/debate, since this is the Discussion & Debates board. What you consider to be "being a man" I might not, and thus we each converse and try to convince the other of our own point of view. That's a debate to my standards.

And not to mention you ignored my second paragraph. .___. I was asking for an explanation, because that point of view intrigues me and I would to understand it better. If you don't want to elaborate, that's fine. But like, can you please expand on your second point? Please?

You did get very defensive over my definition of what a man is. You even somehow tried to connect that to me disparaging women in some way. That's classic tumblr feminist behavior, most feminists don't do their cause any favors by getting hysterical over things like this. (those who know me here are probably thinking to themselves "lol look who's talking")

Anyway there isn't much to elaborate on. I simply gave my definition of what I think a man should be. I'll try and compare my belief of what a man is compared to what I think society generally thinks a man should be.

I think most people view a man as someone who can start a family, financially provide for them, maintain a job, stay in shape, be attentive to his wife and kids. Again this isn't everyone's definition of a man but generally speaking I believe most people would give a similar answer if you asked them the same question.

Personally I define a man as someone who simply does whatever they feel the right thing is to do. Which doesn't necessarily mean starting up a family and falling into the typical male gender role just because society expects them too.

And that's not a knock on women in any way. I'm not saying that being a stay at home housewife is what it means to be a woman.

If blahisuck made a thread asking what is the definition of a righteous person (male or female) I would have given the same answer. Because that's how I define a man, as someone who is righteous and sticks up for what they believe in.

 

[Evyl]

You did get very defensive over my definition of what a man is. You even somehow tried to connect that to me disparaging women in some way. That's classic tumblr feminist behavior, most feminists don't do their cause any favors by getting hysterical over things like this. (those who know me here are probably thinking to themselves "lol look who's talking")

Anyway there isn't much to elaborate on. I simply gave my definition of what I think a man should be. I'll try and compare my belief of what a man is compared to what I think society generally thinks a man should be.

I think most people view a man as someone who can start a family, financially provide for them, maintain a job, stay in shape, be attentive to his wife and kids. Again this isn't everyone's definition of a man but generally speaking I believe most people would give a similar answer if you asked them the same question.

Personally I define a man as someone who simply does whatever they feel the right thing is to do. Which doesn't necessarily mean starting up a family because society expects them too.

And that's not a knock on women in anyway. I'm not saying that being a stay at home housewife is what it means to be a woman.

If blahisuck made a thread asking what is the definition of a righteous person (male or female) I would have given the same answer. Because that's how I define a man, as someone who is righteous.

I was just asking questions, not getting defensive. Didn't mean to come across like that. o__o
Also lol Tumblr "feminists".

Ah, doing whatever they feel is the right thing to do. I agree with that. It takes a great deal of confidence to go against the grain, especially in socially taboo areas.

Ohhh you would say the same thing if the title was gender neutral? Lol I misunderstood what you said before then, and quite possibly misread your post. Apologies. But I agree with what you said anything. Just wanted a bit of elaboration so I could really see if I agreed or not. Didn't mean to jibe at your opinion. :P

 

[Astraea]

Being a man means, Respecting Women!

 

[Bestintheworld]

Definition of a man... The true definition of a man is what I see every time I look in the mirror. Introvert I'm sure you can relate since you, like I, stand up for your beliefs.

 

[Outlier]

Definition of a man... The true definition of a man is what I see every time I look in the mirror. Introvert I'm sure you can relate since you, like I, stand up for your beliefs.

Exactly! If you want the true definition of a man, then look no further than the Pokemon Community Degenerates.

Bestintheworld and myself both exhibit the traits of real men. Integrity, respect, honor, maturity & most important of all righteousness!

 

[Aj Harold]

People ask for this life, but they don't really understand what comes with it. People just see the outside and that looks good - big houses, cars, girls, but you never see how the person is feeling deep down inside. Me personally, being a man, I'm going to feel better displaying all of this and pouring my heart out on each record.

 

[zakisrage]

I think that while it is definitely a good thing for a man to be sensitive (I'm kind of sensitive myself), a man should still be able to stand up for himself. I think that women should find a compromise between manliness and sensitivity. Sensitivity only goes so far - it doesn't feel right to be totally submissive. We get women like Kris Jenner who dominate over their men in every single way - she basically emasculated Bruce Jenner. I will NOT be someone's pet. It's already bad when men are doing it to women - it's just as bad when women are doing it to men.

 

[Raine]

I think that while it is definitely a good thing for a man to be sensitive (I'm kind of sensitive myself), a man should still be able to stand up for himself. I think that women should find a compromise between manliness and sensitivity. Sensitivity only goes so far - it doesn't feel right to be totally submissive. We get women like Kris Jenner who dominate over their men in every single way - she basically emasculated Bruce Jenner. I will NOT be someone's pet. It's already bad when men are doing it to women - it's just as bad when women are doing it to men.

Being sensitive doesn't necessarily mean being submissive. When I characterize men as "sensitive," I think of them as individuals who are mindful of the opinions of women, their feelings, etc. to a slightly higher degree than normal men would. That's not saying that men cannot be sensitive or they're completely insensitive, but, in my opinion, there are a handful of them who disregard the perspectives of women. Sensitivity is honestly greatly appreciated regardless of gender, I think, because you're showing that you appreciate others' feelings and treat them with delicacy depending on the situation.

 

[Dakotah]

Being a slightly effeminate gay man with a playful nature, I rarely get confused with a "man's man." Personally I think gender roles are largely a human construct and are largely irrelevant in today's society. Although I do believe that there is a growing instance of male discrimination taking place. It seems the more male you are perceived to be, the less opportunities may become available to you. Whereas historically the reverse used to be true. Interesting how that happens.

 

[Dominick AKA Dom]

Nothing. You are who you are... It deepens on the ethics in the place you're living in.

Over here you are a man if you masturabate and tell others, if you act like a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ punk and hear "eastern" Israeli-Arabian music. WHICH IS CRAP. [I'm from israel]


The whole being a man thing is of the past, when men controlled everything. It doesn't matter anymore, you need to be A GOOD PERSON.

 

[Raine]

Nothing. You are who you are... It deepens on the ethics in the place you're living in.

Over here you are a man if you masturabate and tell others, if you act like a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ punk and hear "eastern" Israeli-Arabian music. WHICH IS CRAP. [I'm from israel]


The whole being a man thing is of the past, when men controlled everything. It doesn't matter anymore, you need to be A GOOD PERSON.

When you speak of ethics, are you saying that there's a right or wrong way of being a man? Because from my understanding, and correct if I'm wrong, ethics encompasses the principle of individuals' morality, and by applying that to your statement, I would assume you're trying to isolate that being a man has a right and wrong way. Cultural values do differ from one another, and I believe there are some that look down upon masturbation as being a form of release, for lack of a better word. Let's assume for a minute that there are values shared universally across all cultures, or rather the differences are non-existent, what would be the definition of a "man" then?