Quote:
Originally Posted by sleepy jack
What does a "male acting like a male" mean exactly?
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well you weren't, but if you ask me, what determines someones manhood shouldn't be based on assigning other genders roles. Its like that old deconstructionist argument; once you call an object by a name, you can no longer call other things that aren't exactly the same but the same label.
i.e. defining a man should not limit what a woman can do, be, or be seen as.
The men I've known in my life that I would say are the most masculine, and therefore idolized in my eyes have a few consistent traits.
1.
Silence through struggle: My grandfather raised 4 kids, two that weren't his and worked three jobs so he could support them all. He didn't go back to school to get his G.E.D. until he was 40 because he did what he had to do. He like so many of his time never complained. Can only men do this? no. It is however something you tend to find more of in men, to shrinking degrees because of the "me, me, me" culture.
2.
Steadfast. Men tend to be overly arrogant when their young. I think its an effect of testosterone. But by the time you're 30, you ought to have an idea of who you are and where you stand. Saying you made a mistake is fine. But changing with the wind to appease or to placate is not a trait traditionally defined with "man." This occasionally crosses over to "stubborn" or "ignorant" but don't confuse...
"we're doing this because I said so"
and
"no thanks, that's just not me."
The formers an ass, the latter as masculine trait.
3.
Self-reliance. This one is riding the border here but it is what it is. Men, for better or worse, tend to find a virtue in handling things alone, not because they don't need anyone's help per say but because independence is always an option they should have. They tend to push this out on to their children and the like. Often confused with a lack of emotional concern, self-reliance tends to be the most redeeming of all lessons learned.
Again this is just how I see things. I'm sure some soc.101 moron is going to come in here with a soap box and some bumper sticker arguments but thats my opinion.