Opinion: Be a Man

Boys:
When you were younger, and you got hurt, what did your father tell you? Yes, that's right, "Take it like a man."

But what does it mean to "Be a Man"? Does it mean to not cry when you fall off your bike? Or does it mean to be a douche to every girl you possibly can? I feel like no one really knows. I sure don't.

Urban Dictionary defines it as, "Be a man, do the right thing"

But I got some insight from my close male friend...

I asked: Define the meaning of the term be a man and how it's often confused or misused

He replied: To be a man is to step up or man up.It's all about showing courage and not being a bitch about something. Like "Be a man and hit this, chief,"

I then asked: How about emotion wise? Do you feel like a real man would be a douche about things to his girl or like he should be real with her?

To which he said:He should most certainly be real with her. But at the same time, not turn into a pussy with his boys.Being a man is about honesty and taking responsibility.

I trust this friend more than most of my family. He's helped me through so much. But like every other guy, he has his douchey moments. He does realize what it's like to be a man though. He's held me while I've cried, in nothing more than a loving brotherly, "It'll be okay" way.

Being a man is a very broad subject, and is hard to define without a specific instance. A real man wouldn't lie to a girl for 7 months and 2 days before he fessed up to her. He'd be real with her up front. Men hunt for sex. And I realize that. And that's fine. Girls (including me) have sexual wants as well. But that doesn't mean we're willing to lie for them. If a guy wanted a girl for only a sexual experience, he should tell her that first. Guys love for sex, and girls sex for love. There's something extremely wrong with that statement, but I've fallen victim to both parts of it, (kind of, I'm still a virgin, but you understand the point). Anyhow, I conclude with this; guys, if you decide that you have any possibility of loving a girl, please, please tell her the truth. And more importantly, tell her only if you mean it for the right reasons. Be. A. Man.


Sources: Jim Cairns and Urban Dictionary